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I appreciate the growing studies that indicate rudeness undermines physician performance.<1> But they seem to neglect that patients' self-declared occupations may impact their care and even wrongly justify their rudeness. For instance, I observed that healthcare team members often alert each other when encountering patients who are physicians and lawyers. It is almost like a warning that complaints will likely ensue if these patients are dissatisfied with your service. Some staff physicians may even remove residents and medical students to ensure first-class service to these patients.
It is especially disheartening whenever physicians-turned-patients initiatively refuse to let learners to be involved in their care without any valid medical reasons. Health institutions would authorize patients’ requests to have learners removed,<2> although all patients sign agreement to hold no prejudice and discrimination against any individuals. It certainly defeats the purpose of having a teaching health institution. How would our learners gain the necessary experience if every patient requests learners to be removed? Or is it just because physicians have unwritten special privilege in publicly funded health institutions? In a way, that is a rude behaviour being justified by our healthcare system.
My observation is not unique, as Spence, general practitioner in the United Kingdom, also noted his colleagues abusing their position to gain preferential access...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: I have been paid for working as a resident physician, but not writing this letter.