As medical professionals, our patients are putting their trust in us at their most vulnerable moments. It is our responsibility to handle that trust with respect, understand what they need from us both medically and socially, and advocate for those needs. Medicine starts at the bedside with learning about the patient and from the patient.

Caroline F. Zhao reflects on the importance of taking the time to recognize the humanism of patients and seeing them for more than just their conditions.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.