As medical students, we used to learn from our professors and from our medical textbooks. In clinical practice, we don't have professors to teach us anymore, which is why we need to learn by reading medical journals; attending conferences; and from our colleagues. However, a very important source of learning which we often forget to take advantage of is our patients. All good doctors accept that they learn from their patients all the time. However, you do need to follow a process to maximise what you can learn from your patients.
Firstly, you need to be respectful , and understand that patients can be very valuable sources of knowledge , if you're willing to tap into them. Thus, it's possible to use patients as unpaid research assistants, ask them to look for information on the internet or do a PubMed search. Patients are extremely motivated. Some of them are extremely intelligent and…
