--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always approached my job first as a…" description: "\"I've always approached my job first as a physician. I'm here to help and take care of patients. I'm an administrator second.\" — David Shulkin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/david-shulkin-32605_always_i-ve-always-approached-my-job-first-as-a_2895937.jpg" --- # I've always approached my job first as a physician. I'm… ![“I've always approached my job first as a physician. I'm here to help and take care of patients. I'm an administrator second.” quote by David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/david-shulkin-32605_always_i-ve-always-approached-my-job-first-as-a_2895937.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/david-shulkin-32605_always_i-ve-always-approached-my-job-first-as-a_2895937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/david-shulkin-32605_always_i-ve-always-approached-my-job-first-as-a_2895937.jpg) > “I've always approached my job first as a physician. I'm here to help and take care of patients. I'm an administrator second.” [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A physician prioritizes patient care over administrative duties, emphasizing a service‑first mindset. **In simple terms:** Doctors should put patients first. Key Takeaway Maintain patient‑centered focus despite administrative roles. Themes service medicine administration Mood dedicated thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - hospital management - clinical practice - policy making - team coordination Key Concepts medical ethics leadership Questions to Reflect On - How can clinicians balance care and admin? - What systems support patient‑first priorities? A Different Perspective Administrative pressures may dilute patient focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Physician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physician/) ## Related quotes > [My job as a physician is to make sure I have provided my patients with the best options to make the decisions that affect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ami-bera/my-job-as-a-physician-is-to-make-sure-i-have-provided-my-patients/) [Ami Bera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ami-bera/) > [Physician, help yourself: thus help your patient too. Let this be his best help: that he may behold with his eyes the man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/physician-help-yourself-thus-help-your-patient-too-let-this-be-his/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“When doctor saves a life, he also saves a family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/when-doctor-saves-a-life-he-also-saves-a-family/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“THE MAXIMS OF MEDICINE Before you examine the body of a patient, Be patient to learn his story. For once you learn his story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-maxims-of-medicine-before-you-examine-the-body-of-a-patient-be/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Well, I would never do a study because I'm a practicing physician. I mean, all I do is treat people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/well-i-would-never-do-a-study-because-i-m-a-practicing-physician-i/) [Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/) > [Our reliance on the physician is a kind of despair of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/our-reliance-on-the-physician-is-a-kind-of-despair-of-ourselves/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Physician, heal thyself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-the-evangelist/physician-heal-thyself/) [Luke the Evangelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-the-evangelist/) > [There is a clear matter that I am not a practicing physician; I have never been a practitioner; everybody has known for decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/there-is-a-clear-matter-that-i-am-not-a-practicing-physician-i-have/) [Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/) > [“The reader, knowing nothing about the ‘dark continent,’ filled in the blanks. Pictured Stone in a tent, kerosene lamp held up by a Hottentot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/the-reader-knowing-nothing-about-the-dark-continent-filled-in-the/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [A physician is not angry at the intemperance of a mad patient, nor does he take it ill to be railed at by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-annaeus-seneca/a-physician-is-not-angry-at-the-intemperance-of-a-mad-patient-nor/) [Lucius Annaeus Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-annaeus-seneca/) > [“A physician is obligated to consider more than a diseased organ, more than even the whole man—he must view the man in his world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cushing/a-physician-is-obligated-to-consider-more-than-a-diseased-organ-more/) [Harvey Cushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cushing/) > [“Jesus Christ, the holy Saviour is the Great Physician of Souls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/jesus-christ-the-holy-saviour-is-the-great-physician-of-souls/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I became a physician in order to help save lives. I am at once a physician, a citizen, and a woman, and I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mildred-fay-jefferson/i-became-a-physician-in-order-to-help-save-lives-i-am-at-once-a/) Mildred Fay Jefferson > [Some days, I know beauty techniques like it's my job, and other days I can't do my makeup for the life of me. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-serratos/some-days-i-know-beauty-techniques-like-it-s-my-job-and-other-days-i/) [Christian Serratos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-serratos/) > [The best thing I've learned is that you have to listen to your body, and you have to be your own physician. Don't ignore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-cruz/the-best-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-you-have-to-listen-to-your-body/) [Valerie Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-cruz/) ## More by David Shulkin > [If there is evidence that an employee has broken the law, caused harm to veterans, or have violated the public trust, they should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/if-there-is-evidence-that-an-employee-has-broken-the-law-caused-harm/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [We are a system where I can tell you that nobody is doing more for behavioral health care in this country than the VA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/we-are-a-system-where-i-can-tell-you-that-nobody-is-doing-more-for/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [It was clear that VA was in need of reform, and when the president asked for help, I could not say no. First, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/it-was-clear-that-va-was-in-need-of-reform-and-when-the-president/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [There will be far greater accountability, dramatically improved access, responsiveness, and expanded care options, but the Department of Veterans Affairs will not be privatized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/there-will-be-far-greater-accountability-dramatically-improved-access/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [Accountability is a two way street. We can't just make it easier for us to fire people; we must make it easier for us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/accountability-is-a-two-way-street-we-can-t-just-make-it-easier-for/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [I don't believe that the problems in the VA are necessarily about money. When I look back over the problems of the VA over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/i-don-t-believe-that-the-problems-in-the-va-are-necessarily-about/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [The first responsibility that we have to our veterans is to make sure those that need urgent care are getting care on time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/the-first-responsibility-that-we-have-to-our-veterans-is-to-make-sure/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [I do think that VA, as the largest employer of nurses and the largest health system in the country, often does become a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/i-do-think-that-va-as-the-largest-employer-of-nurses-and-the-largest/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [Part of what any good health-care professional does, including an advanced-practice nurse, is know when it is time to seek help from more experienced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/part-of-what-any-good-health-care-professional-does-including-an/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [VA is a unique national resource that is worth saving, and I am committed to doing just that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/va-is-a-unique-national-resource-that-is-worth-saving-and-i-am/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [We have about 360,000 employees in the VA health care system. It's the largest health care system in the country. And the negative attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/we-have-about-360-000-employees-in-the-va-health-care-system-it-s-the/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [A veteran deserves the very best health care anywhere. That means sometimes, they should go out into the private sector if something's being done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/a-veteran-deserves-the-very-best-health-care-anywhere-that-means/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [What we know about American medicine is that our supply of health-care professionals is not equally distributed. In rural areas, we have severe shortages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/what-we-know-about-american-medicine-is-that-our-supply-of-health/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) > [My career goal is to work as a liaison between organized medicine, government, and third-party payers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/my-career-goal-is-to-work-as-a-liaison-between-organized-medicine/) [David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) [Explore all 15 David Shulkin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always approached my job first as a physician. I'm here to help and take care of patients. 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