Two OUWB graduates, Dr. Chris Jaeger and Dr. Laurie Bossory, both currently working their residencies at The Ohio State University Wexner School of Medicine, received annual housestaff awards celebrating their collegiality and humanistic spirit.

Chris Jaeger, M.D.

For 2015 graduate Chris Jaeger, M.D., a resident in the department of urology, a typical day is spent in the operating room or the faculty clinic space, caring for patients with either routine or complex urological issues. According to his peers, Jaeger performs these tasks thoughtfully.

Jaeger is the recipient of the annual OSU Housestaff Collegiality Award; an honor bestowed upon one house staff member who, in Jaeger’s words: “is well-known by his or her peers for routinely exhibiting attributes of professionalism and collegiality in the care of his or her patients and dealings with other physicians, medical students and health care professionals.”

Jaeger believes that both his colleagues and patients have noticed not only his collegiality, but also his unique medical education background. “I make an effort with every patient encounter, no matter how straightforward it may be, to help address the hidden needs of the patient that oftentimes are overlooked,” he explains.

OUWB training prepares physicians to deliver exceptional patient care
The values instilled in him at OUWB have carried with him as he navigates his residency; in particular, he remembers to care for the whole patient rather than merely treating the patient’s disease. “OUWB taught me that patients have many needs outside of basic medical care,” he explains. “Physicians should embody qualities of empathy and compassion in the care of our patients to help best treat them.”

As an active member of the resident section of the Gold Humanism Honor Society at OSU, he makes an effort to pass these values onto other physicians. “I recently led a meeting consisting of other OSU faculty, residents and medical students on the art of the physical exam and how many of our day-to-day responsibilities take away from our ability to connect with patients in this essential hallmark of the clinical care,” he says. “Many of the values I presented in this meeting were core to the OUWB mission.”

Jaeger believes that all OUWB graduates are equipped to receive similar honors, so long as they remember where they came from, even in the midst of a grueling residency program. “It is easy to get into a habit of just treating a disease process or downplaying the importance and manner of communication with a nurse, colleague or family member,” he says. “However, those who choose to spend the extra time and energy in treating the whole patient are rewarded with personal and professional satisfaction, in addition to improved patient care outcomes.”

Laurie Bossory, M.D.

Fellow 2015 graduate Laurie Bossory, M.D., is currently in her third year as an internal medicine resident. Her inpatient days begin at 6 a.m. for sign out, followed by a pre-round and a round on patients, then admitting and discharging patients until 6 p.m.

Bossory is the recipient of the Robyn D. Howson Housestaff Humanism Award, an award given to a member of the housestaff who is widely regarded as exhibiting attributes of ethics, compassion, effective communication and more. “I think receiving the Award in Humanism reflects my attempts at treating every patient like a person,” she says. “Attempting to empathize with their struggles, listen to their concerns and just being honest and respectful with everyone's feelings.”

Bossory is appreciative for this award, as its existence signifies an appreciation for those physicians who take the time to go the extra mile with their patients and coworkers. “It really takes a lot emotionally and mentally to treat every patient with the same amount of compassion and respect as you would treat your own family or friends,” she explains.

Like Jaeger, she is grateful for her OUWB experience, as it fostered her respect for and compassion toward patients and their hospital experiences.

“There have been countless instances where families have had to say good-bye to a dying loved one, and I have often been the one to help them work through those conversations,” she says. “I have been in many circumstances where the families have been extremely appreciative of my personal relationship with them - I have given hugs and even cried with families.”

Post-residency, both Jaeger and Bossory would like to share the knowledge and skills they’ve acquired at OUWB and their residencies with the next generation of physicians. Jaeger hopes to undergo a fellowship in a sub-specialty of urology, and would ultimately like to be a full-time urologist in a teaching hospital. “I want to impact the future of medicine through education,” he says. Bossory is applying to the cardiology department and plans to sub-specialize in treating heart failure.