Is there a simple secret to truly great patient care? Medical science is able to alleviate more diseases and mitigate more suffering than ever before, but physicians are left feeling less respected, more criticized, more judged, and more burned out. Too many patients say we just do not care about them, regardless of the expertise we trained so hard to give to them.Generational truths and personal experiences from a rural, community-based surgical practice in Mississippi suggest that the art and the science of medicine are inseparable and interdependent. It is indeed possible for a highly trained, teaching surgeon to sit with his patients every Sunday in church, take care of the local football team, and speak at funerals of those he fought to save. This level of emotional agility is a requisite character trait in a rural setting, and one that can serve all surgeons well, no matter where they practice. Genuine compassion and a hand on the shoulder, supported by a foundation of scientific knowledge and clinical judgment, will almost guarantee a strong, trusting bond between doctor and patient. The secret of great patient care is simply caring for the patient.
Keywords: rural surgery; surgical professionalism.