Physicians Week: Dr. Dan Bissell

The Grip That Holds Us: Lessons from Baseball for a Life in Medicine

Dan Bissell, MD
Chief Medical Officer, Good Samaritan Medical Center

"You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time" 
~ Jim Bouton, professional baseball player and author

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When I first came across Jim Bouton's words, something resonated deeply with me about my own journey in medicine.
As physicians, we spend countless hours holding the hands of patients – literally and figuratively.  One of the most enduring and gratifying elements of healthcare is the empathy and tenderness we bring.  It is both the essence of care, and the essential burden.  I was the one doing the holding, or so I thought.

Over time, those countless moments of connection with patients in their most vulnerable hours began to shape me in ways I couldn't have anticipated. The careful grip I thought I maintained on my practice was, in fact, holding me – defining me, sustaining me, becoming the structure around which my life found meaning.

I've come to appreciate that while I offer comfort through my presence, I receive something equally profound in return. Each patient interaction has left an imprint, like the seams of a baseball leaving marks on a pitcher's fingers after years of throwing. These impressions have changed how I understand suffering, resilience, and human connection.

The toil is real, as is the complexity and messiness of this work. But the longer I practice, the more I appreciate that what began as a dedication to holding the hands of the sick and injured in their greatest hour of need has revealed itself to be the other way around all along. These human connections, these sacred moments of trust – they have been holding me, shaping me, gripping my life with purpose and meaning throughout my career in medicine.

This is perhaps what we truly mean when we talk about going "Beyond The White Coat." That theme and our stories have focused on our doctors and their diverse passions and interests, the human persona beyond the professional role.  As we end the week, my thoughts turn to another dimension of our professional selves: how the sacred work itself and these countless patient interactions, transforms us as physicians from within. The white coat may symbolize our professional identity, but it's in these moments of genuine connection – holding and being held – that the true exchange of our shared humanity occurs, leaving both patient and physician forever changed.