I am often told that I have a lot of 'difficult patients', which is code for other doctors hate them. Sometimes, I agree with this assessment. Not all of my patients are the nicest people. However, it's also disappointing to know that a lot of folks I see are labeled as difficult because they want to be involved in their own care. And I think it's shameful that we discourage that.
I had a patient say to me last week something very nice: 'You're my favorite doctor because you always tell me things honestly and straightforward. I can trust you.'
It is a nice compliment to me, but such a sour turn on the profession. The default used to be that physicians deserved to be trusted, whether we deserved it or not. Now, a doctor is viewed as special because of such a basic piece of human interaction.
5 comments:
Hey Dr. Ifinding,
Thanks for this blog! I've been waiting for another post since I first discovered it in August. I'm a new californian pre-med/poli-sci student (Hope to go into IM and possibly Oncology), and i love the honest perspective you give us on the life of a doctor. PLEASE, could you post more often?
Thanks!
your blog is amazing, i have been checking every few days for a new post for a few months now... hope you post more in the near future!
from Vancouver, Canada.
In my rather limited experience, I find that some patients cannot accept the truth. To them I am too straightforward. It depends on the person I suppose. It takes a special kind of person to be willing to accept advice from a straightforward doctor.
I've read your blog since I was a lowly first-year undergrad, and now I'm a second-year medical student. I just wanted to say thanks for posting and sharing. I've learned a lot about medicine, and about life in general from you.
Take care!
Just found your blog...LOVE!!!!! Thanks for eloquently communicating what it is really like to be a physician. Hope you continue to post.
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