I feel my primary role in the physician/patient relationship is to serve as an educator; secondarily as a healer. As physicians, we possess the knowledge of medicine through years of training. It is our responsibility to transfer this knowledge to the public and our patients. We can only make recommendations, share our experiences, and guide patients through treatment options -- ultimately decisions regarding health care are made by the patients. We cannot tell patients what to do, because after all, it is not our lives that are being affected! Once a patient has decided to entrust us with their care, we must do all we can to help achieve their goals. To have a human place their lives in our hands is a huge responsibility. We must be grateful and humbled for the privilege of having this responsibility. There is no greater reward when a patient's life has been positively affected by our decisions.