We are, at least in part, what we do

Much of the pleasure and professional satisfaction in primary care

medicine derives from communication with patients and long-term observation

of the course they take. We prefer the rush we feel when we cure

an ailment, but more often than not, we are satisfied by providing good

long-term care of a patient with a chronic condition. Like avid followers

of a favorite soap opera, where characters come and go over the years, we

watch the drama of life continuously unfold. Much of the professional

pleasure in medicine derives from simply knowing the people involved

and watching to see how their stories play out.