People of Philadelphia

I have been refreshed by the human spirit. The city of Philadelphia is dirty and beaten down, perhaps not as much as other cities in the Northeast, and less than others, but the people have generally been quite open and friendly. First, I have had a wonderful reception at U. Penn since my emails have led to email introductions and more emails and meetings than I imagined. I have been over to the Hospital at the University of Penn. a few times already and interestingly sat in on a session where the institution is trying out "narrative medicine" with staff doctors. This is based on a principle that patients who are able to tell a narrative of their ills feel more comfort in the care they are given, they have better outcomes and are more compliant with therapy. Doctors themselves are found to feel better about their patients as well if they can periodically give narrative amongst professionals about emotional issues they have with patients, nurses and other doctors. Kind of group therapy with the purpose of allowing "us" to keep from strangling our patients or ourselves. For deeper personal issues one has to maintain their therapist visits though. Black humor was endorsed by the moderator of the session, he is an english professor from Scotland.

As for the people of Philadelphia, I'll relate a few encounters I have had. Today on the subway I asked the person next to me how to get to the art museum. He was very helpful as were many others in the car. His recommendations were either confirmed or countermanded by at least 3 or 4 others in our vicinity. I heard recommendations to turn around, take a cab, and to get the 121, 34 and the 440 bus. I decided to get off the subway to take a cab. The bus system is difficult like it is in most cities until one gets the hang of it. But the enthusiasm of the people on the subway was way cool.

Yesterday, I was walking to work behind a woman in a burka. She tossed a gum wrapper on the street.

On the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, where Rocky made his triumphant run, there was a muslim kid in bare feet, on a cold day, and white religious outfit preaching about Ala. He was saying how "We should all lie prostate at the feet of God", as I was passing. I suggested he wanted to use the word prostrate. He nodded his head in agreement and without missing a beat repeated his instructions, "We should all lie prostrate at the feet of God..." I apologized for being so bold but he didn't seem to mind.

The security officer at the entrance to the Science Center at U Penn, where the Center for Bioethics has offices, told me about her sinuses when I asked her how she was doing, although I wasn't really expecting a medical report. She didn't know that I was a sinus expert from my practice so I gave her a few pointers, yet I still don't think she knows I'm a doctor. She was grateful and not pissy or resistant. Yet I seem to be maintaining my reputation as being a "know-it-all". But perhaps this is the refreshing part of living in a place that respects accuracy. There is often little difficulty here, and from my memory of New York, if one person helps by correcting or helping another with an accurate correction or a pointer. There is not that visceral uncomfortable feeling that one gets when being corrected or doing the correcting as one gets in other places. There's not so much of the "you're not smarter than me" crap. I like that. I certainly have received enough correction already at U Penn when it comes to ethics and that's OK with me. The U Penn crowd may or may not be smarter than me but what I do know is that they know more about ethics than me. I continue to pursue a path of less vanity and the people of Philadelphia have shown me the way so far.