How to be an elitist doctor

Submitted by mostafa on Tue, 2007-05-01 09:17

Occasionally doctors do some of the following mistakes and usually they do it in social situations and in non-professional settings. With the aim of starting or maintaining conversation. In other words, they try to sound interesting and make their work sound fun.

But only if their conversation were taped and they hear themselves. They would realize (some of them) that they were highly condescending.

Some of the following are unethical. Others are not, you are not breaching patients' privacy but you are talking generally.

!Here is how to be an elitist doctor:

# Discuss how ignorant and dumb some patients might be,
# Discuss delusions or strange behavior of patients,
# Discuss how unclean some patients might be,
# Mention in general what the patients do that is strange or different from you,
# Never mention what your patients need,
# Discuss openly and proudly your racism, sexism, ageism and other prejudices
# Make fun of patients requests,
# Blame the system, society and everyone as an excuse for you not doing your job properly,
# Mention sexuality of the patients or your sexual attraction towards a patient or any of his family members.

I occasionally do some of the above mistakes (except No. 9). I think the only way to avoid sounding elitist and bring empathy with patients into places you go is to discuss nothing about them except their hardshipss and unfulfilled needs might be. Or don't mention anything about your patients at all.

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Comments

Submitted by NileGirl (not verified) on Tue, 2007-05-01 19:34.
#1

This post is surprisingly true! All of the Dr. friends that I have always have the most interesting and sometimes funny stories about their patients. And I have to say they all tend to sound like what you describe as elitist doctors. They all seem to fall into that category. Hmm...

I never thought about it in a negative way, but you're right. It's not that fair to the patient is it?

Submitted by original logic (not verified) on Fri, 2007-05-11 20:52.
#2

i 'm a doctor and i think that i tend to do some of the stuff mentioned in ur post..but anyway what do i have to talk about other than my patients, u see, i spend almost 3 quarters of my day at work ,and i don't have much to talk about other than that.