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Dugall Mor and other stories ... Read More »

How many times as a doctor do you ask the same questions over and over again as part of the routine process of taking a history from your patient?  And how often as a patient do you have to answer those same questions each time you see a new doctor? How long does this take, given that doctors and patients both complain ... Read More »

S: (n) whistle blower, whistle-blower, whistleblower (an informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it) "the law gives little protection to whistleblowers who feel the public has a right to know what is going on"; "the whistleblower was fired for exposing the conditions in mental ... Read More »

Here’s a devil’s advocate position.
Historically doctors have held power over patients as compensation for the responsibility of that position, and the epatient and other patient advocacy movements seek to address that imbalance with good reason, arguing that the doctor-patient relationship should be ... Read More »

As I greeted my next patient of the morning, I knew from the early folder number that I had seen him six or seven years before.  I no longer expect to remember everyone I have ever met professionally. The man before me was tall, fit and well built. There is usually some inkling of recognition, but nothing about him was ... Read More »

What inspires me... ... Read More »

Dear “Robin,”
Nothing in my career in medicine has prepared me for being a friend to someone with such a terrible disease.  As a doctor I dispense advice on a daily basis, but those interactions remain strangely impersonal.  With you, cancer has invaded our inner circle, and we all share your ... Read More »

I was sick the other day. A bout of gastroenteritis that had me vomiting with diarrhea for 24 hours and feeling weak for another 48. I felt rough for a while, but got over it pretty quickly.  My family gave me just the right amount of care, and avoided me appropriately because I get grumpy when I am sick.
Had they ... Read More »

How a doctor acts plays an important part in how patients perceive the care they receive. It's commonly expected that a doctor should be compassionate, polite and have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. We (and I) expect doctors to explain things in a way that patients understand. We expect them to take the ... Read More »