We has a lecture the other day that informed us that TEN PERCENT OF PHYSICIANS HAD HAD SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH A PATIENT.
Ten. Percent.
So, the study is from almost 20 years ago, BUT. That was an astonishing number. In my mind it is never okay to have sex with a patient... unless they are really really hot!
But seriously, unless you're a rural physician who is the only game in town so everyone in town is essentially your patient, that is not cool. And never okay if you're a psychiatrist.
I guess I should wait and see what happens when my first ridiculously good looking patient hits on me.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Personal v. Professional Life
Last night I went out with friends, as we have been quite a bit recently. As THE MATCH looms, coming up in a week and a half, we find ourselves with little to do other than begrudgingly go to class in the mornings and drink our normal quota of calories in alcohol. But as we transition from students to "real doctors," the line between our own selves and our doctor selves starts to dissolve. How would you feel if you saw your physician drinking a glass of wine? Probably the vast majority of people would be okay with that. But what if they are noticeably drunk? Or what if they only have one glass of wine and there is a very small (but very real) possibility they might get called into the hospital?
Legally, physicians need to report any law breaking (specifically salient to this conversation would be any arrest for drunk driving) when they yearly register with the licensing committee. But there is a whole range of other behaviors that don't result in legal action that reflect poorly on the profession and the individual. As much as we live in a society that celebrates and respects individual responsibility, I also believe that when we signed up to go to medical school, we also signed up to hold ourselves to a higher standard. It has been fascinating to rubberneck during Charlie Sheen's very public manic episode. There have been all kinds of discussions about what his professional obligations are as an actor... imagine what would have happened if it were a physician (other than the obvious fact that no physician is cool enough to get over 1 million twitter followers in 24 hours)?
I certainly am not innocent of behavior unbecoming a future doctor. And I will likely continue to occasionally indulge in that kind of behavior. I know many doctors do. In some ways, it is an unhealthy way of dealing with the stresses and pressures of the job. Last night I ran into a group of interns from the hospital!
But I also know that I am much more aware of the risks that I take every time I make those decisions.
Legally, physicians need to report any law breaking (specifically salient to this conversation would be any arrest for drunk driving) when they yearly register with the licensing committee. But there is a whole range of other behaviors that don't result in legal action that reflect poorly on the profession and the individual. As much as we live in a society that celebrates and respects individual responsibility, I also believe that when we signed up to go to medical school, we also signed up to hold ourselves to a higher standard. It has been fascinating to rubberneck during Charlie Sheen's very public manic episode. There have been all kinds of discussions about what his professional obligations are as an actor... imagine what would have happened if it were a physician (other than the obvious fact that no physician is cool enough to get over 1 million twitter followers in 24 hours)?
I certainly am not innocent of behavior unbecoming a future doctor. And I will likely continue to occasionally indulge in that kind of behavior. I know many doctors do. In some ways, it is an unhealthy way of dealing with the stresses and pressures of the job. Last night I ran into a group of interns from the hospital!
But I also know that I am much more aware of the risks that I take every time I make those decisions.
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