The world of health care changes every day. Here at Hope Medical Institute, we know that the physician’s role in the health care system continually changes as well. Whether you are enrolled in our 4 year MD program or six year medical degree program, HMI will prepare you to take on new challenges without forsaking the medical conventions great doctors have relied on for years. The most successful physicians treat the whole patient and not just a list of ailments. In times of illness and anxiety, patients prefer doctors that are both empathetic and composed. Tomorrow’s doctors must find a way to combine state of the art techniques and medicines with the gentle bedside manner that patients look for. When providing your patients with high quality care, it is useful to remember these simple pieces of advice:

• Get a Good Partner: For a great doctor, a medical school is not just an alma mater. A medical school is a lifelong partner that will help see them through the complicated process of medical licensing and re-licensing. Hope Medical Institute is a Caribbean medical school providing clinical rotations in the US and in Europe. HMI’s Medical Degree Programs are specifically targeted to help students meet the requirements of medical colleges in countries throughout Europe, the US, and Canada. HMI’s medical students graduate prepared to be licensed by the strictest US medical boards and to meet the highest standards of customer care.
• Focus on a Patient’s Life Goals, not just their health goals: Changing diets and losing weight are important, but every patient’s motivation for reaching these goals is different. A good doctorcan help make these goals attainable by creating a targeted set of goals based on the patient’s unique needs, desires and circumstances.
• Translate specialized terms and “expert” advise: Today’s patients often come to a doctor’s appointment armed with Google terms and expert advice. A physicianoften must explain complex medical ideas in laymen’s terms. The ability to explain a concept simply and directly can help ensure that the patients listen to your advice instead of the advice of a so called “expert” off the internet.
• Camp Out with the Enemy: As a doctor you will be required to communicate and compromise with payers, insurance companies, other physicians and medical specialists to provide quality care. Collaborating is essential as patients become more demanding and well-informed.
• Change your view of the “office visit”: E-visits, remote, and even retail health visits are steadily increasing in popularity among health-conscious working patients. Learning to embrace and even endorse these alternatives will not only support preventive health care, but it will offer your patients greater control over their own health.
• Open Communication with Healthy Patients: Many insurance companies are endorsing preventative care as an economic strategy to lower costs. This trend is causing patients to want more communication from their physicians, even if they are not sick. It is predicted that this trend will only increase as more people acquire smart phones and tablets. Providing periodic texts to check up on your patient’s wellness, or offering apps which help your patients remain healthy will be a service that will be appreciated.