3 answers
Beniah
Student
Brandywine, Maryland
2
Questions
Asked
277 views
How can we improve health practices or get better at them?
I’m interested in going to medical school to become a psychiatrist, one day hoping for my own private practice. I have often heard many stories about medical professionals not helping patients or advocating for them. How do you think we can improve health practices for the community and what can I implement in my own private practice. I understand not everyone is the same and different people prioritize different things, but I want people to feel safe going to hospitals or any place of heath and knowing they will be treated with care, honesty, and knowing workers trying their best.
Login to comment
3 answers
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1185
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Beniah,
Thank you so much for giving this some thought. You are already ahead of many who enter the medical field solely because of their credentials rather than their influence.
You're right that systems, communication, and culture are more often to blame for healthcare issues than ignorance. The first step in improving health practices is to switch from a "provider-centered" model to a patient-centered, community-aware approach.
At a high level, healthcare benefits when practitioners regularly carry out three tasks:
1. Practice deep, human-centered listening
- Because they don't feel heard, many patients feel ignored. Listening is a component of treatment, particularly in psychiatry. This involves:
- Taking patient concerns seriously, regardless of how complicated or sensitive they may be
- Clearly and simply describing diagnoses and available treatments
- Verifying personal experiences rather than jumping to conclusions
This builds trust, which is the cornerstone of positive results.
2. Advocate beyond the exam room
Great healthcare doesn’t stop at prescribing medication. It includes:
- Helping patients navigate systems (insurance, referrals, follow-ups)
- Being mindful of social factors like finances, family stress, culture, and stigma
- Connecting patients to community resources when clinical care alone isn’t enough
Advocacy is what makes healthcare feel safe rather than transactional.
3. Build systems that reduce harm and burnout
Many healthcare failures happen because providers are overwhelmed. Ethical, compassionate care requires:
- Reasonable caseloads
- Time for reflection and collaboration
- Support for provider mental health
When clinicians are supported, patients are treated better. That’s not idealism—that’s operational reality.
What you can implement in your future private practice
This is the point at which your vision becomes practicable:
- Trauma-informed care: Prioritize safety, choice, and teamwork while taking into account the possibility that patients may have experienced personal or medical trauma in the past.
- Transparency: Be truthful about therapy limitations, side effects, schedules, and available options. Clarity is more valued by patients than perfection.
- When designing inclusive practices, take affordability, cultural competency, and accessibility into account. Big values are indicated by little decisions.
- Feedback loops: Consistently solicit and act upon patient input. Care becomes a partnership as a result.
- Empathy combined with ethical boundaries: It is possible to show compassion without going overboard. Better care is sustainable care.
Healthcare workers who consistently uphold integrity, even inside broken frameworks, are often the ones who make the most changes to systems. You will become more than just a psychiatrist if you maintain this approach throughout medical school, residency, and beyond; you will become a respected member of your community.
You are asking the right questions at the right time. Hang onto that. That's exactly where significant change begins.
Best wishes!
Thank you so much for giving this some thought. You are already ahead of many who enter the medical field solely because of their credentials rather than their influence.
You're right that systems, communication, and culture are more often to blame for healthcare issues than ignorance. The first step in improving health practices is to switch from a "provider-centered" model to a patient-centered, community-aware approach.
At a high level, healthcare benefits when practitioners regularly carry out three tasks:
1. Practice deep, human-centered listening
- Because they don't feel heard, many patients feel ignored. Listening is a component of treatment, particularly in psychiatry. This involves:
- Taking patient concerns seriously, regardless of how complicated or sensitive they may be
- Clearly and simply describing diagnoses and available treatments
- Verifying personal experiences rather than jumping to conclusions
This builds trust, which is the cornerstone of positive results.
2. Advocate beyond the exam room
Great healthcare doesn’t stop at prescribing medication. It includes:
- Helping patients navigate systems (insurance, referrals, follow-ups)
- Being mindful of social factors like finances, family stress, culture, and stigma
- Connecting patients to community resources when clinical care alone isn’t enough
Advocacy is what makes healthcare feel safe rather than transactional.
3. Build systems that reduce harm and burnout
Many healthcare failures happen because providers are overwhelmed. Ethical, compassionate care requires:
- Reasonable caseloads
- Time for reflection and collaboration
- Support for provider mental health
When clinicians are supported, patients are treated better. That’s not idealism—that’s operational reality.
What you can implement in your future private practice
This is the point at which your vision becomes practicable:
- Trauma-informed care: Prioritize safety, choice, and teamwork while taking into account the possibility that patients may have experienced personal or medical trauma in the past.
- Transparency: Be truthful about therapy limitations, side effects, schedules, and available options. Clarity is more valued by patients than perfection.
- When designing inclusive practices, take affordability, cultural competency, and accessibility into account. Big values are indicated by little decisions.
- Feedback loops: Consistently solicit and act upon patient input. Care becomes a partnership as a result.
- Empathy combined with ethical boundaries: It is possible to show compassion without going overboard. Better care is sustainable care.
Healthcare workers who consistently uphold integrity, even inside broken frameworks, are often the ones who make the most changes to systems. You will become more than just a psychiatrist if you maintain this approach throughout medical school, residency, and beyond; you will become a respected member of your community.
You are asking the right questions at the right time. Hang onto that. That's exactly where significant change begins.
Best wishes!
Sean Alexander
Retired
34
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Sean’s Answer
Giving your full attention to your patients can make a big difference.
Yasmin Mohamed Alamin
Clinical Nutrition Student
63
Answers
Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
Updated
Yasmin’s Answer
Hi Beniah 👋🏻...
Your question shows exactly the kind of mindset that makes a great psychiatrist, someone who cares not only about treatment, but about trust, safety, and dignity.
Improving health practices starts with something simple but powerful: slowing down enough to actually see the person in front of you. A lot of the stories we hear about bad experiences in healthcare aren’t because the professional didn’t know what to do, but because the patient felt ignored or rushed. When people feel unseen, everything else falls apart.
As a future psychiatrist, you can start building good habits early. Practice active listening... the kind where you let someone finish, you reflect back what you heard, and you never assume you already know their story. Learn how to explain things in a way that makes people feel included in their own care instead of spoken at. And don’t underestimate the impact of creating a calm, welcoming space in your practice one day — how a room feels changes how safe a person feels opening up.
Advocacy also matters. Great clinicians aren’t just treating symptoms; they’re helping patients navigate systems that can feel overwhelming. That might mean speaking up for a patient who isn’t being taken seriously, or making sure someone understands their options before they leave your office.
And there’s something else: humility. Healthcare works best when professionals stay curious, admit what they don’t know, and collaborate with other specialists. Patients feel that. They trust it.
If you carry this mindset — care first, listen deeply, communicate clearly, stay humble... you’ll already be improving the system from the inside. Your private practice can become the kind of place where people walk in nervous and walk out feeling understood, supported, and genuinely safe.
Your question shows exactly the kind of mindset that makes a great psychiatrist, someone who cares not only about treatment, but about trust, safety, and dignity.
Improving health practices starts with something simple but powerful: slowing down enough to actually see the person in front of you. A lot of the stories we hear about bad experiences in healthcare aren’t because the professional didn’t know what to do, but because the patient felt ignored or rushed. When people feel unseen, everything else falls apart.
As a future psychiatrist, you can start building good habits early. Practice active listening... the kind where you let someone finish, you reflect back what you heard, and you never assume you already know their story. Learn how to explain things in a way that makes people feel included in their own care instead of spoken at. And don’t underestimate the impact of creating a calm, welcoming space in your practice one day — how a room feels changes how safe a person feels opening up.
Advocacy also matters. Great clinicians aren’t just treating symptoms; they’re helping patients navigate systems that can feel overwhelming. That might mean speaking up for a patient who isn’t being taken seriously, or making sure someone understands their options before they leave your office.
And there’s something else: humility. Healthcare works best when professionals stay curious, admit what they don’t know, and collaborate with other specialists. Patients feel that. They trust it.
If you carry this mindset — care first, listen deeply, communicate clearly, stay humble... you’ll already be improving the system from the inside. Your private practice can become the kind of place where people walk in nervous and walk out feeling understood, supported, and genuinely safe.