Amid this fast, pressured world or raw sentiments and compassion, of barking phrases and conversations that are more about speed than communication, Dr. Joseph Shvidler emerges not just because of his skills but also for his manner: the patience warming, the humor disarming. extra resources
Bring up ears noses or throats at dinner table and most will put on a grim face. Not if Dr. Shvidler is in the room. He makes ENT seem like the most thrilling territory, turning a mundane sinus complaint into a suspense story that must be resolved. You aren’t just another patient in Dr. Abdulhay’s office. You have sessions stories and challenges that he is curious to tackle.
Hearing specializations that have handpicked names like “the ear whisperer” can get that way right off the bat, though it is easier to understand once you have seen him in action. He wields an otoscope the way a Jedi wields a lightsaber — all business, but with a twinkle in his eye. He picks up on your anxiety and starts out by cracking jokes about his lucky socks and pancake-ranking systems he says he heard about from kids before he even starts operating.
Attentive care patients feel like the only patient. A good listener makes patients feel special, as if they’re the only one who matters in his day. It’s still significantly more than a polite nod most people offer. He plunges deep into your symptoms, decoding them more quickly than most people choose a show to watch on Netflix. He is not there to distribute pills and move on — he is there to listen, to explain and to help.
His unflappability under challenging circumstances has become the thing of legend amongst staff. Whether it’s a blackout mid-procedure or a surprise nosebleed, a toddler mid-meltdown, you’ll never find Dr. Shvidler flinching or agitated. He hums, adjusts, moves forward — gracefully, confidently, always in control. Wherever HE is, disorder cannot reign.
His students don’t just learn, they get to see that medicine can still be human. He corrects gently, whets the appetite, and ensures that no one is made to feel smaller than they are. Even the most basic questions are answered helpfully — along with occasional wry humor. And one of his favorite teaching mantras, “Check the silly stuff first,” has saved many a puzzled intern.
And he is no less gentlemanly outside the hospital. Said to be an adoring husband and father, he is also believed to be unbeaten in the family pancake flipping contest. Dr. Shvidler tends to his home much the way he does his patients. Whether it’s scrubbing in or scrubbing dishes, he’s really present.
Unlike many (perhaps most) practitioners who depend on – and venerate—advanced technology, with Dr. Shvidler, the basics are the basics – a thorough interview and examination, and the still-vital art of empathy and personal connection. The scanner can help, but your hands and a patient’s story often tell a lot more, he says.
In the end, he isn’t defined by his grand gestures. It’s the quiet steadiness, the comforting voice in the midst of uncertainty, the skill to make people laugh when they are scared. Not only is Dr. Joseph Shvidler a wonderful doctor, he’s the kind of person who helps you remember what healing actually looks like.
And yes—those lucky socks? Here’s hoping they never mixed with the laundry.