“Intelligence and education that hasn’t been tempered by human affection isn’t worth a damn.”
– Charlie Gordon, Flowers for Algernon
I never mind bursting a bubble of perceptions made of me by my colleagues, students, and patients.
I am not the smartest doctor you meet.
I am not the most well-read.
I’m not the best writer.
My strength skills, movement analyses, and anatomical knowledge are all in the infantile stages.
But I know what Charlie Gordon knows: that being smart without emotion isn’t worth much.
The best coaches and doctors marry knowledge and skill to encouragement and diligence.
People aren’t subjects. Students and patients learn by failure, but human interaction, encouragement, and affection keep them trying.
To be a better doctor and human, one must consistently commit to pursuits of intelligence – and pursuits of displaying empathy, love, and encouragement.
Intelligence + emotion = quality care and education.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley