"So, what brings you to the doctor today?"

I recently had to write a paper on the theories and models of the doctor-patient relationship. There is the paternalistic model, in which the doctor knows best and tells with patient what is wrong and dictates the care plan. There is the engineering model, in which the doctor gives the patient the facts and allows the patient to decide their own health plan. Then their is the collegial model, which emphasizes the need for relationship between the doctor and patient. It states that the doctors role is to listen, ask questions, advice the patient based on medical fact but all the ultimate care plan to be shaped by both the patient and the doctor, so that it takes into consideration the patient as a whole person, not just an isolated illness.

These all have different pros and cons, and (in my very limited experience) it really depends on the patient. In general, you (are supposed to) start with the collegial model, and adjust if you have to. The paper led me to think the general role or job definition that physicians have. Although the obvious answer might seem to be, "heal people/improve their health," I'm learning how debated that answer is in the medical community, both in what it means in its legitimacy as an answer to the question. A lot of the debate ends up centered around the doctor-patient relationship, and how the doctor is supposed to view the patient.

If the doctor views the patient primarily as a disease or illness, rather then a person, then the goal is simple: fix it. It might sound kind of harsh to say that these kinds of doctors don't see patients as real people, but as something to be cured, but they also get a lot more done. They see more patients a day (ie. they technically have more chances to heal), and the patient generally always receives the best care in the medical/scientific sense. Some patients seem to want this in their doctor, others don't.

If the doctor views the patient as a friend, or younger sibling, they might be really great at hearing the whole story behind the illness or injury, getting all the social/psych/family background, sympathizing or empathizing well, and maybe even sharing a personal fact about themselves. But after all of that, a lot of time has been spent and nothing has been done about the acutely medical need. Yet, a great relationship has been built, trust built, and whatever advice the doctor does give might be carried out more effectively by the patient because of that relationship. Again, pros and cons. Some patients think this is just a waste of time, others need it before they can trust the doctor.

I'm going through the gospels as my Advent reading, and its making me wonder: how would I classify Jesus' doctor-patient relationship. Sure, it gets more complicated because, well, He's the Son of God and knows people lots more intimately then I will ever know my patients. So maybe the question is more: what kind of doctor-patient relationship does Jesus teach others to have (noting the difference between following/imitating Jesus, and actually being Jesus)?

I'll let ya know what I think after I read a little more. After all, its only the second day of Advent :)