The Golden Rule of Medicine with Dr. Deeb Salem

Deeb Salem, MD, FACP, FACC, FAHA, is the Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. He has had a distinguished career as an academic cardiologist, serving as the Chief of Cardiology at Tufts from 1987 to 1995, and was then appointed as the Physician-in-Chief in 1999. Dr. Salem was the founding president of the New England Affiliate of the American Heart Association. His academic accomplishments include over 170 scientific publications. He's a recognized national expert in coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and congestive heart failure. He's a member of the National Medical Honor Society, Alpha Omega Alpha. Among Dr. Salem’s honors are the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Boston University School of Medicine, the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Tufts University School of Medicine, and the Paul Dudley White Award and Distinguished Leadership Award from the American Heart Association. Today, Dr. Salem shares his golden rule of medicine : To make sure a patient feels better after seeing you than they did before. And that comes from a combination of having a great patient-doctor relationship and being the most competent physician you can be. He emphasizes the role of passion in life as being the key ingredient that will keep us going at times we feel exhausted. And most importantly, to enjoy the ride. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. Rather than shying away from hard work, match it with passion. The passion drives the hard work that leads to fulfillment—rather than burnout. 2. There is something more important than a good doctor-patient relationship alone: Competence. And: That the patient feels better after they see the physician than before. 3. Have fun along the way. Have a sense of humor, collect stories and experiences, and share them with others. Enjoy the ride, and pass it along to others, so we can all crack a smile when we most need it.