Am I the cold and detached physician?

It’s 9:30 a.m. on a Wednesday, I get on the elevator, and I hear a man in his 40s, having a conversation on his cell. He says: “He had a brain bleed yesterday, and they had to put a breathing tube in, they don’t know how much damage his brain has suffered at this point.” He gets off on the adult ICU floor. I quickly think “that sucks” and carry on. A little bit later that day, as if the theme for the day was brain injury, I walk by a woman standing on the street. She speaks on her cell phone and says: “There was a blood clot that went to his head, and now they are trying to bust it, I’m not sure what’s going to happen.” I glance at her, think “that’s not good” and move along. Reflecting on my day That night, as I thought about my day, I contemplated how often I hear people complain about physicians being cold and removed. I analyzed my own reaction to the two strangers I overheard that day. The language I heard is such an integral part of my everyday vocabulary. I honestly didn’t think too much about it. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Critical Care Oncology/Hematology Source Type: blogs