Gunnar Esiason, a 28-year-old cystic fibrosis (CF) patient, just delivered an inspirational pre-commencement speech to the 2019 St. Louis University School of Medicine graduating class. Quite frankly, it contains wisdom that not only every new physician should hear, but every currently practicing healthcare professional should be reminded of.

Gunnar was invited to speak at the ceremony by Robert Wilmott, the dean of the SLU School of Medicine and a pediatric doctor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Dr. Wilmott happened to be Gunnar’s first pediatric physician. That was over 20 years ago.

About Gunnar

Gunnar is a graduate of Boston College, a current student pursuing a MBA and MPH at Dartmouth, co-host of Breathe In: A Cystic Fibrosis Podcast, a writer, ice hockey coach, patient advocate, and public speaker. He’s presented at Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, the Oley Foundation Annual Conference, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Annual Cystic Fibrosis Nutrition and Social Work Consortium among countless other locations. Additionally, he is a Board Member and Director of Patient Outreach for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The Boomer Esiason Foundation was founded by Gunnar’s parents after he was diagnosed with CF. It is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting CF research, drug development, clinics, and patients through financial programs.

Among all of Gunnar’s long list of accomplishments, his most important undertaking is being a patient advocate, and helping others feel empowered to be an advocate for themselves. He believes the relationship between a patient and their provider should be an equal one. He first created his blog so that he could share his own experiences as a way to help guide others looking for help, but he now writes about a wide variety of topics, including the physician and patient partnership.

Gunnar encourages fellow CF patients who are struggling or who just want to laugh to reach out by email. He even takes requests for what to write about on his blog.

SLU School of Medicine 2019 Commencement

Gunnar’s speech at the SLU School of Medicine was certainly one for the books.

The four word summary? “Listen to your patients.”

Gunnar begins with an introduction. He is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. He is pancreatic insufficient, has multidrug resistant bacteria in his lungs, is a participant in a clinical trial, and lives with a feeding tube. Gunnar tells the audience that for some of the 1,200 patients they may see each year, they will be remembered for the rest of the patient’s life. They may be the bearer of the best or worst news that someone has ever heard.

He explains that they may have to be the one to tell a patient that their treatment isn’t working, that they are have a rare disease like cystic fibrosis, that they’re now resistant to the antibiotic they’re on, or that their cancer is spreading. But, they may also be the one to tell someone they are responding to a treatment, that their transplant was a success, or that they are cancer free.

He’s had his own fair share of both kinds of news in his life. But he says that what has set apart the physicians he’s loved and the physicians he has turned away is that those he adored, valued his “personal and subjective patient experiences.” They saw him as first, a person, and next, a patient whose opinions and philosophy on care was of the utmost importance.

When you actually sit down and think about it, your patients have a lot of experience with their condition. He says that he personally has almost 3 decades of experience living and succeeding with his rare disease. This experience is a tangible resource he now demands to be considered in his doctors’ offices. He has kicked out residents from his hospital room, refused treatments, and argued with recommendations he’s been given. He doesn’t allow his voice to go unheard.

The Ambitions of a Patient

Gunnar further explains that each and every rare disease patient is ambitious and goal-oriented. Likewise, he says, is every single person sitting in front of him at that commencement. That is what unifies patient and provider and builds a relationship between them- the common goal for better health.

“You and your patients will play an equal role in the pursuit of common goals.”

He encourages those sitting before him, saying that they would not be there if they were not ready for all of the challenges that are to come. Gunnar says that no matter how many directions it may seem that you are being pulled, prioritizing the patient needs to be held as paramount. It is not only a responsibility but a moral duty to uphold the patient’s values. By doing so, he attests to the fact that the upcoming physicians will be able to inspire confidence and trust.

But, Gunnar doesn’t say healthcare is an easy feat.

“You will have to find the line between empathy, medical literature and common sense.”

Advice

Gunnar ends his presentation with some advice. He tells his audience not to fear searching outside the box, not to be afraid to ask for help, to look their patients in the eye (and then their loved ones), to be confident in their decisions, to not let the place they are working prevent them from being the physician they want to be, and above all else, to listen. He urges his audience to remember that the advice they provide each patient are mere recommendations. There may be feedback to those recommendations, and it is their duty to listen.

Each patient is going to be unique. Point blank. They will have unique needs, motivations, desires, and priorities. It is essential to learn about the patient as a person and understand how their illness affects their life as an individual. That is how you build trust Gunnar, assures. It will also ensure the patient receives the best possible outcomes.

You can read Gunnar’s full speech or watch a video of his address here. His hope is that in the future, more patients will be given an opportunity like this. Not only did this presentation provide an opportunity for a patient voice to be heard, it provided a group of future physicians valuable insight into the patient experience and as Gunnar explains, a look into the life of one of their teammates.