Transcript of Dr. Besler’s speech

Welcome, graduates and families. My name is Dr. Wendy Besler, and it is my immense privilege to give this address to the graduating residents of Authority Health, Class of 2021. I know we have been waiting for this day for four years, and it’s finally upon us. Maybe not as we had initially hoped, to spend it in direct contact with each other and our loved ones, but we have proven ourselves resilient as we have worked around this obstacle and multiple others as well over the past four years.

Constant obstacles and challenges are a consistent part of our chosen profession and may have brought many of us into the practice of medicine. There is nothing more satisfying than diagnosing an illness and giving treatment that resolves a patient’s suffering and pain. As we venture into our future as physicians in a variety of specialties, we are now going forward armed with the information that we have been taught and, more importantly, the experiences that we’ve had. This is officially our time to shine. This is our time to change the world of medicine for the better.

Every one of us has had experiences where we thought a different diagnosis, treatment, or therapy would benefit our patient. It may even be that the treatment could be applied in a distinctive manner or just tweaked. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that it can’t be done or accept just the status quo if you know there’s a better option, treatment, or diagnosis that will help your patient. Fight for each patient as if they were your own family member. In many cases, they have no one else but you looking out for them in a system that’s overrun with pitfalls, insurance constraints, and multiple other limitations.

One of my favorite quotes is from Albert Einstein, who said, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Never be afraid to fight for your patient’s health. Allow your knowledge and wisdom to lead you. We, as physicians, have the ability to impact a patient’s life not just through the administration of medications, but also through the simple act of caring and listening to their concerns. That is our gift.

I believe I would be amiss if I did not mention the pandemic that we have all suffered through as a nation. I was incredibly proud of the Authority Health residency program and our quick response to the pandemic in our community. I was happy to be able to stand with numerous others in different church parking lots, side by side with my fellow resident volunteers, Dr. Yoder, our fearless leader, Mrs. Bush, and numerous others, performing nasopharyngeal swabs on patients through the windows of their vehicles in some of the most inclement weather that I’ve ever experienced in Michigan. I believe my favorite memory is when we realized that we could not possibly complete all of this COVID testing on the numerous cars that were lined up as far as the eye could see in the middle of a torrential downpour. But we looked at each other, grabbed kits and umbrellas, and went from car to car until every patient had been tested, including the lady who accidentally rolled her window up on my arm as I had a nasopharyngeal swab halfway to its target.

Unfortunately, many of us have also suffered the loss of friends, family, and co-workers to the virus, which continues to be difficult for all of us to manage. Please always remember that our loved ones will never be forgotten as they will always remain alive and well in our memories, thoughts, and prayers. My amazing parents always encouraged me to look for the positive in every experience, and I do believe this virus has solidified our commitment as physicians to the health and well-being of our patients and the importance of true preventive medicine. We no longer are only treating our patients’ illnesses but also preventing those that we can with encouragement and counseling for a healthy lifestyle, including good nutrition, exercise, and nutrient supplementation.

Years ago, when I was practicing as a neurology PA, I had a patient that I saw almost daily in an extended care program in a hospital. She was a very young woman who had a brain tumor, a glioblastoma multiforme, a very aggressive tumor with a high mortality rate. Due to its location, her prognosis was bleak. She was delusional but, thankfully, happily delusional. Every time I walked into her room, I would ask her what she had done the day before, and she would happily tell me that she had gone out with friends the night before and had a wonderful time socializing and traveling around town. She was always happy and upbeat.

The day came when I entered her room as I had done numerous times before, but this time I found her crying. She asked me why God would have allowed this to happen to her. She was completely cognizant of her disease state and her chances of survival. It was horrible. I fought back tears and sat on the edge of her bed and just talked to her. I have no idea how long our conversation was, but when I left, she hugged me and thanked me. I remember thinking, how could she possibly thank me? I had no options for treatment and no hope to give. All I could do was listen. When I left her room, I tried desperately to wipe tears from my eyes so the staff would not know that I had been crying. I didn’t want to be perceived as unprofessional.

It spread quickly, as many of the staff saw the state I was in when I left her room. I had multiple staff members approach me afterward, stating they were glad to see my reaction as so many had experienced the same emotion, but we were all trying to hide it in order to fit what we thought a professional response should be. My patient passed away the following morning without ever knowing how she had brought together and positively impacted multiple staff members that cared for her.

Wisdom will come to you in the most unlikely of sources, many times through failures. There will be days that will bring you to your very knees, days where you feel incredibly inadequate, and even days that cause you to question your very purpose in medicine. But how you respond to these challenges will determine what kind of practitioner you will be. I once heard a saying, “If you are going to fall, make sure you fall on your back because if you can look up, you can get up.”

We now go into the world with the amazing ability to apply our knowledge for the betterment of patient care. We will now stand completely on our own two feet, fully realizing that our patients’ care now lies within your hands and in your hands alone. This can be overwhelming but also bring tremendous joy, for each of us will have our own patients that we will follow throughout our careers. We’ll watch them grow and develop and achieve their goals and dreams. We’ll have the privilege of being part of their lives. Thankfully, our job is one of the only professions that does not require any type of judgment of those we treat. I never have to judge a patient based upon their past, their race, their ethnicity, their life choices, or sexuality. It does not matter if they spent years in prison or run a major corporation, or both. All I have to do is determine how best to prevent and treat illness in that individual. We will see patients from every walk of life, but our only goal is to determine what efficacious treatment and to deliver it in a caring and supportive manner. All we have to do is truly care for our patients.

We are so incredibly fortunate to have been given this opportunity to step into the most prestigious profession, the ability to provide physical and mental health care to individuals. What greater calling could possibly exist than providing healing and symptom resolution to those that we have been called to serve? I wish you all the best in the amazing future that awaits each and every one of you. Thank you.

---