Those are words no physician wants to hear. Even as an emergency physician, I hated the few times I heard that phrase. Fortunately, the passengers I tended to were not terribly ill, but this story, written by a medical student who cared for a critically ill passenger, is well told and worth the read.
Here’s a disturbing and important New York Times article detailing two studies showing that physicians were more likely to use negative language in the medical record about Black patients than about those of other races.
Medical notes from emergency departments and inpatient settings were more likely to use this pejorative language, possibly because of a lack of long-standing relationships with patients.
Along these lines, a term like “refused” should not be used in the medical record. If we, as medical professionals, believe the patient is truly in charge of his/her body, “declined” is an appropriate replacement.
Although written somewhat tongue-in cheek, “A Totally Novel Concept: The Patient Comes Second” – sent to me by an emergency medicine colleague – is worth a quick read. Considering the huge problem with physician burnout, putting the patient second sometimes is an interesting intellectual exercise.
Age-related professional decline is the last thing many doctors want to think about. Those who have just finished years of arduous training can’t imagine that they have only 15 years until they will deteriorate (statistically true), and those of us in middle age don’t want to think about our impending, cognitive retreat from medicine. And yet, this fantastic piece in the Atlantic “Your Professional Decline is Coming (Much) Sooner than You Think” by Arthur C. Brooks is a fascinating, well written article about happiness, gifted and accomplished people, and personal relevance with multiple interesting celebrity examples. Brooks also proposes some quasi-solutions (or at least some work-arounds). I strongly recommend this compelling piece for physicians of all ages and stages.
Before you tweet that racy comment or post a picture of yourself partying on Facebook, I recommend you pause. A recent study “Social Network Activity May Affect Medical School Acceptance” from the Postgraduate Medical Journal indicates that social networking is affecting medical school and residency admissions. Nine percent of the medical school and residency program survey participants acknowledged routine use of social networking sites as part of the selection process.
The American Medical Association has advised doctors that social network content can adversely affect physicians’ reputations. That advice seems straightforward. However, what troubles me is that admissions officers can intentionally or subconsciously form negatively judgments about applicants based on the candidates’ family situations (e.g. a woman applicant with a new baby), political leanings, or romantic relationships.
Contact me for help with your residency application and medical school candidacy.
Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more
