Tag: Anthony Papagiannis
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Three Visits
Anthony Papagiannis Thessaloniki, Greece Prelude She rings at the recommendation of a colleague who knows my interest in lung cancer and palliative care. “It is about my father, doctor.” I suggest that she brings me his films and tests for a briefing before I get to meet him. We arrange an appointment, and she…
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Blind date
Anthony Papagiannis Thessaloniki, Greece “And who has sent you to me?” Working as a private consulting pulmonologist in a healthcare system where referral letters are virtually nonexistent, I always ask new patients to tell me who sent them—a social engagement routine before we get into purely medical matters. It works as an informal survey…
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To Sir, with gratitude
Anthony Papagiannis Thessaloniki, Greece When I was twelve my late grandfather, seeing that I was disinclined to study English, made me an offer I could hardly ignore. “If you learn English,” he said, “then we shall go to America together,” knowing that this was a boyhood dream of mine. A few years later, at…
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Eliot’s triad: information, knowledge, and wisdom in medicine
Anthony Papagiannis Thessaloniki, Greece Where is the Wisdom we have lost in Knowledge? Where is the Knowledge we have lost in Information? Photography by Les Taylor I first saw these well-known lines by T. S. Eliot1 inscribed as a motto on the flyleaf of a Greek textbook on internal medicine. I was a student…
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A classic case of vanity
Anthony Papagiannis Thessaloniki, Greece In The Citadel, A. J. Cronin’s quintessential medical novel, the hero, Dr. Andrew Manson, still a junior doctor in country practice, is unhappy with his lowly professional status and wonders how he can improve matters. Christine, his devoted wife, urges him to try and obtain a higher medical qualification, perhaps…
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The girl with the name of a flower
Anthony Papagiannis Thessaloniki, Greece It had been a placid day and I was anticipating a quiet evening at the office. My schedule only listed three patient appointments, an hour’s work at the most. Even allowing for the occasional last-minute visitor, all should be fine, with plenty of time to spare. A chance to go…
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Patients bearing gifts
Anthony Papagiannis Thessaloniki, Greece Photography by Marju Randmer It is not uncommon for practicing clinicians to receive gifts of gratitude. Patients have their way of expressing their appreciation for whatever service they believe we offered them in the course of their health misadventures. The prevalence of gift-giving may vary with the healthcare system (state…
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Summer heat, crisis, and the glad game
Anthony PapagiannisThessaloniki, Greece Late afternoon in early August, Thessaloniki, Greece. A crazy time to be at work. Most colleagues are off for their summer vacations. I usually take mine in installments, a week in July, another week or so in the second half of August, depending on patient load and general circumstances. The summer heat…