Remember the movie from the 1980’s titled “A Fish Called Wanda”? It is a comedy classic starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and John Cleese. It grossed $62 million at the box office in 1988, which was the year I graduated high school. Kevin Kline played a psychopathic dolt, and my favorite part of his character was how he would always ask;

“wait, what was that middle thing?”

Otto, from A Fish Called Wanda, 1988

My sister is a Physician’s Assistant, and works for a family practice. In my mind, that means she is a Junior Doctor of sorts, someone who generalizes in all kinds of things occurring in growing up and growing older. Since we all function as humans and need to see a doctor periodically, she’s been trained to listen well and offer advice and recommendations tailored to your ailment. Most folks find authority and comfort in her advice, but she’s admitted to me that there is a certain kind of patient that just doesn’t want to hear anything she has to say. A patient that distrusts Doctors and medical advice; and typically, by the time they get to the doctor, it’s likely too late. Or the situation has become much worse than it needed to be.

I am more than grateful to have this medical expert in my family. We’re nearly five years different in age and 2,500 miles apart, but just that one degree of separation – she’s my sister. I have called upon her more than once to diagnose something over the phone or give me some kind of reassurance about a medically related worry.

What’s funny to me, and relevant to that movie, is that in the beginning, when my sister first started practicing, – I dunno, fifteen, twenty years ago, she had not yet developed excellent active listening skills, IMHO. This is something I use in my job as a qualitative focus group moderator or while interviewing consumers in a 1×1 style usability session, as I observe them use a web site. Active listening is my thing. For her, she had to develop and sharpen that skill. What’s even funnier, is that I still get so anxious about going to the doctor that I’m the one saying “wait, what was that middle thing?” nowadays.

I imagine what folks come in to see the doctor about, and how they feel about seeing the doctor drives a lot of what they say or don’t say during their visit. Carefully listening to what they have to say, while observing their behavior, and of course their vital measurements is a braided and complex process, of course it takes time to master it. Over the years, my sister has developed beautifully as a Physician’s Assistant. Much like design research and movie making, there is as much art to it as there is science.