Understanding the patient experience

They say that physicians are the toughest patients. For many, it’s an odd feeling to be on the other side of the table and find yourself as a patient of your colleague. Blair Tolar, MD, tends to get so wrapped up caring for in his own patients that he overlooks his own needs.

As an OB/GYN, it was a normal day with back-to-back cases for Dr. Tolar, when he started to feel a little bit of pain spread throughout his back and his belly. He pushed through thinking it might just be a bug, but after developing a fever and fearing a gallbladder attack, he went to the emergency department.

Dr. Tolar had an aortic dissection, a tear in the heart’s main artery. It’s a rare and serious condition that requires immediate surgery, and cardiothoracic surgeon Austin Ward, MD, was there to help.

“Dr. Ward came to see me very quickly, and instead of treating me like we were friends, he treated me like a patient,” he said. “He didn’t treat me like I knew what was going on, and that was important, because I had no idea what was happening. He had a tough conversation with me about my chances of survival, and he told me what to expect. During my stay, I had the privilege of interacting with not one, but several physicians who all went above and beyond to ensure that my experience as a patient was unmatched. I will always be grateful to Dr. Ward; Shaukat Ali, MD; Emily Johnston, MD; Kyle Parish, MD; Sanjay Bose, MD; Nicholas Lopez, MD; and Nihanth Peta, MD.”