The Extra Mile - Story and Reflection

Recently, I’ve been supporting my mom from afar as she’s gone through a complicated health issue. Like many patients, she didn’t show up with a single neat explanation. She had two separate issues—Occam’s razor didn’t apply. That alone created delays and misdirection, but this story isn’t about what went wrong. It’s about what went right.

Two physicians stand out—both seasoned and grounded in their work, shaped by years of experience.

One was her orthopedist, who rearranged his OR schedule to work her in for a kyphoplasty when pain relief through Interventional Radiology she'd been referred to would have meant waiting an additional week. He took on the scheduling headaches and made space to relieve her pain sooner. And it was a success.

The other met her in the hospital for the unrelated issue and spent 25 minutes with her and my sister. Twenty-five whole minutes—talking, listening, thinking, explaining, being fully present. That kind of time isn’t easy to give. But he did.

What’s especially meaningful is that none of this happened because I stepped in as a physician. These were simply two physicians who knew when more was needed and chose to act.

As a daughter, I felt gratitude, relief and comfort. As a physician, I felt admiration and deep respect. These were grand gestures. They did cost something—time, energy, inconvenience. But they were done without fanfare. They were carefully chosen acts of generosity—done because they could, and because the moment called for it.

It reminded me that going above and beyond doesn't mean doing more all the time. It means having the clarity, connection, and bandwidth to do more when it matters most. And that comes with time, experience and intention.

That’s not just skill. That’s pacing. That’s wisdom.

Reflection:

• Where in your work—or life—might discernment serve you more than defaulting to effort?
• How do you support others—colleagues, learners, teams—to recognize when it’s worth doing more?