Verbal Malfeasance
So they say a picture is worth a thousand words. No wonder guys dont like art work or museums, because that's just a lot more words in our day. The medical field works a lot differently. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a doctor will tell you that a couple words can be worth a million dollars.We learn fast what not to say. Some things are easy and most (yes, sadly only MOST) doctors have common sense. Like, you dont enter a room and say "OK Mr. Smith, fat and ugly is a bad combo, so let's at least take care of the fat part." Other things are a little less obvious. For instance, when you give someone a shot, I've learned to strongly avoid the phrase "you're going to feel a little prick." This is because in todays atmosphere of 'sue everyone,' a "little prick" can go a long ways.
Why do I bring this up? Well it comes down to the art of medicine. There is the science of medicine which takes most of medical school and beyond to learn. But the art of medicine is different, and you only pick it up if you want to. The art is all about how to interact with patients. You can tell somebody all about the pathophysiology of colon cancer, but how do you tell them they're gonna die from it? These are lessons hard learned and hard to find. I guess I'm writing this to let everyone know that there are still doctors out there who are trying to learn the art of medicine. Some of us are still interested in being compassionate, caring, and able to communicate with patients in a real way. The other reason is to let everyone know that this kind of stuff isn't in the classroom.....and, um, we dont like to be sued. So the next time a doctor tells you that your private parts "look pretty darn good," he means medically, and is just a little less than a brilliant conversationalist.
posted by Jon & Erin @ 5:17 PM
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