Physician 1 Reflection
This past week I had the opportunity to shadow two radiologist (whom for the purpose of this reflection will remain unnamed) at Hillcrest. After being escorted to the imaging room by a staff member, I was greeted by two annoyed grunts. Twenty minutes later Physician 1 introduced himself, and then proceeded to vent his frustration about the multiple interruptions that had occurred earlier in the day. Physicians 1 & 2 were now far behind schedule, and the emergency department continued piling on unnecessary CT scans. Physician 2 then spoke up and explained that over scanning leads to an increased work load for radiologists because every bodily structure imaged must be interpreted regardless of the relevance to the patient’s chief complaint. This
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Minutes after the interaction described above, Physician 2 asked about my future endeavors. When I told him about my desire to become a pediatrician he chuckled and said that it would probably be a great fit for me. We talked about children for a few minutes, and then Physician 2 said that radiology allows you to see “the dark side of humanity”. He explained that many of the CT scans coming from the ER were scans of drug addicts, alcoholics, and smokers. He suggested that pediatrics might be more fulfilling for me, and the patients were more likable. Physician 1 then said “Well at least in adult medicine you can usually blame the patient. When a kid’s sick it’s just sad.” I have trouble with the idea of blaming the patient for their illness and lack of compliance. Although smoking leads to an increased risk of lung cancer, I don’t think it is fair to say patients who smoke deserve lung cancer. Everyone is vulnerable to disease and illness, and I don’t understand why there is a need to place the blame on an individual when someone does become sick. Indulging in drugs, alcohol, smoking, and too much food can all lead to increased health risks, but I feel that a lack of compassion for these patients will do no good and can often harm patient outcomes. It is my personal conviction to never judge or place blame on a patient. When I do find myself in this position, I hope I take a
Minutes after the interaction described above, Physician 2 asked about my future endeavors. When I told him about my desire to become a pediatrician he chuckled and said that it would probably be a great fit for me. We talked about children for a few minutes, and then Physician 2 said that radiology allows you to see “the dark side of humanity”. He explained that many of the CT scans coming from the ER were scans of drug addicts, alcoholics, and smokers. He suggested that pediatrics might be more fulfilling for me, and the patients were more likable. Physician 1 then said “Well at least in adult medicine you can usually blame the patient. When a kid’s sick it’s just sad.” I have trouble with the idea of blaming the patient for their illness and lack of compliance. Although smoking leads to an increased risk of lung cancer, I don’t think it is fair to say patients who smoke deserve lung cancer. Everyone is vulnerable to disease and illness, and I don’t understand why there is a need to place the blame on an individual when someone does become sick. Indulging in drugs, alcohol, smoking, and too much food can all lead to increased health risks, but I feel that a lack of compassion for these patients will do no good and can often harm patient outcomes. It is my personal conviction to never judge or place blame on a patient. When I do find myself in this position, I hope I take a