I imagine sitting across from patients listening attentively as they tell their stories of fear, sadness, and apprehension. I discovered the best way to help a person get physically well was to make sure they were mentally well. Patients with chronic medical conditions and cancer are as well afflicted resulting many times into an initial denial and subsequent depression.
One often see them in a difficult, hopeless and disabling position. The scourge of addiction and other forms of mental illness in the country is also a sign that more psychiatrists are needed.
More than any other rotation, I found that listening goes a long way in helping a person in time of illness or stress.
I learned how anxiety or distress could manifest as physical complaints, such as