 Dr.
Al Linderman grew up admiring physicians. He heard stories about doctors
expertly healing one child’s sore throat, repairing another’s
broken bones, and assisting the neighbor lady in her fight with cancer.
The cause against sickness and disease was one of unambiguous nobility.
From an early age, Dr. Al Linderman felt called to the medical profession.
Today, Dr. Linderman lives his childhood dream. Last year, the
Lincoln East graduate joined the Smith and Reed Medical clinic.
As an Internal Medicine specialist, Dr. Linderman practices adult
care, meaning that he treats patients over the age of 20. Each day
from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Dr. Linderman and his patients confront
a variety of ailments. Some patients require high blood pressure
medication; others must be rushed to intensive care. Dr. Linderman
describes his role as a “diagnostician,” determining
a patient’s illness and prescribing treatment.
A year of medical practice has not jaded Dr. Linderman. However,
even as a college student, he had not anticipated the bureaucratic
aspect of the medical profession. Issuing concerns heard frequently
from the medical community, Dr. Linderman bemoaned the lack of time
he may devote to each patient. “With insurance and Medicare
pressures ever on the increase, the amount of time I spend is limited…
it can strain the doctor-patient relationship,” he said.
Dr. Linderman’s pace becomes particularly frantic during
the one week each month that he contributes to hospital service.
During this period, Dr. Linderman frequently works 80-90 hour weeks.
Even when he has the opportunity for rest, 24-hour call places him
a phone ring away from the emergency ward. “Sometimes its
hard to spend as much time with my family as I would like,”
he said. Nonetheless, Dr. Linderman remains confident in his career
decision, reaping invaluable rewards from the capacity of his medical
skill to improve people’s lives.
The path to an M.D. involved hours of study, but Dr. Linderman
characterized medical school as “a great deal of fun.”
He elaborated, “Your med school class is really like a family.
Many of my best friends are from med school.” At the University
of Nebraska Medical Center, Dr. Linderman thrived, receiving a prestigious
appointment as UNMC Chief Resident following the completion of the
regular residency program. The program exposed Dr. Linderman to
teaching, patient care, and medical administration. His background
with UNL’s pre-med program prepared him for the academic rigor
of medical school. He described UNL as a great school for “the
self-motivated individual.”
Dr. Linderman also emphasized the importance of people skills.
Every day, he interacts with patients, office staff, and other medical
practitioners. The ability to effectively communicate and to develop
a trusting relationship substantially impacts the quality of care.
Dr. Linderman recommended those considering the medical profession
to volunteer in an ER or a nursing home to observe “what patient
care is like.” |
