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I love to see the last patient of the day. I won't deny it: The last patient reminds me that the day is coming to an end and that I will soon be going home to dine with my family. However, there are other reasons. When I see the final patient, I'm in my most relaxed state. There are no time pressures to see other patients. I am not distracted by phone calls, knocks on the door, or overhead pages. The work of the day, except for a few dictations, is almost done. I can sit back and give the patient my full attention. Yes, my nurse may be anxious to get home and may push me to speed up. And there are days when there are more than a few dictations to be done or phone calls to make. Nonetheless, I feel good about finishing, and I look forward to spending time with the patient—as I do with good friends.

My last patient also gives …