Mark Sandock never knew he would live beyond his childhood.
He never knew he would go on to practice medicine for nearly half of a century. He never knew he would overcome his illness. He never knew he would save so many lives in the medical field after his own was saved.
At just 12 years old, Mark Sandock was wheeled into the operating room on a gurney to undergo a heart operation. No one told him at the time, but he later learned that the surgeons weren’t sure if he was going to come out alive. That’s not what he remembers about the operation now, though. Today, he recalls a feeling of peace and comfort, a feeling of complete certainty that everything would be okay. Despite the uncertainty, the sunny days he spent inside as a child out of concern for his health, Sandock knew that whether or not he opened his eyes at the end of the operation, everything would be okay...
That spiritual moment as he entered the operating room was Dr. Sandock’s first call to medicine. He realized then that medicine could be a spiritual field, and it could be his field as well. Dr. Sandock highlighted multiple points throughout his career where a theme of spirituality reinforced itself and patients persisted when medical prognosis predicted the worst. He emphasized terminal patients who lived for months instead of weeks, and unlikely survivors who were still meeting with him years later. Throughout his career, he came to understand that spiritual powers often played a role within his work, and the connection he felt spiritually to helping others through medicine was an important motivator for him.
Dr. Sandock also stressed the importance of his intrinsic motivation to become a physician. As a result of his own childhood condition and his spiritual call to help others, Dr. Sandock followed his dream to the medical field: his dream to serve and save lives. He urged everyone to evaluate their personal reasons for pursuing a medical career. Extrinsic motivations like monetary wealth are not the true driving factors that will bring authentic satisfaction in a difficult and demanding profession. Dr. Sandock was inspired to treat countless patients, and for that, he found intrinsic motivation in his profession.
During his talk, Dr. Sandock acknowledged the stressful nature of the process of becoming a physician, and he articulated his own strategies to persevere. In addition to intrinsic motivation, communication was always key for Dr. Sandock in preventing burnout. He credited his life partner for staying by his side and being a pillar for him to lean on when his life was dominated by medical school, residency, and, later during his professional career, patient emergencies. Simultaneously, he explained the importance of taking care of oneself and one’s family by structuring a schedule to make time for the important people in one’s life. Thanks to his wife and his family, and the time he set aside to be at home rather than work, Dr. Sandock was able to create protective factors to mitigate burnout.
When Dr. Sandock retired, he held an event to celebrate the end of his career. Hundreds of patients came to show their gratitude to him. Hundreds more called because they couldn’t make it through the cold and snowy night.
Within his practice, forming a covenant of care and maintaining relationships with his patients was crucial to Dr. Sandock’s success. In this way, he expressed the ability to preserve closeness with patients through difficult times, and be not only a physician, but also a companion. He further described the importance of showing struggling patients that he would help them in any way within his power throughout the process.
However, even when patients are not struggling, Dr. Sandock believes that fostering a discussion about planning for worst-case scenarios is crucial. Discussing end-of-life preferences enables patients to set up a plan for themselves and their families. This prevents patients from having to spend time in their final moments concerned with logistics; instead, they are able to focus on the people closest to them. By this reasoning, Dr. Sandock emphasized that proactive planning is vital; we must begin these conversations when we are healthy. Dr. Sandock revealed that over 70% of Americans prefer dying at home, yet over 70% of Americans end up dying in the hospital. He believes this suggests a need for change. A need for caring over curing.
Great thanks to Dr. Mark Sandock for sharing his stories and advice for those embarking on their own journey within the medical field. Dr. Sandock’s insight demonstrates the clear benefits of an authentic mindset of compassionate care.