Rude Doctors

In today's New York Sun (7/28/08) on the front page was an article about rude doctors. I was surprised to see it; it suggested that rude doctors are not uncommon. It cited an instance when a doctor and a nurse were yelling down the hall and cited a document entitled "Rules of Behavior" that outlines expect behavior between professionals.

Medicine is stressful enough without a document that outlines how professional should behave toward one another. Medicine is one of nature's highest professional callings. In recent times, say within the last twenty years, it has become a profession used as insurance companies and managed care projects make endless sums of money off the backs of doctors. This, of course, does not excuse rudeness of doctors, but it does suggest the endless cycles of stresses physicians face. Being called upon to make numerous decisions about life and death daily, while still being expected to make the house and car payments is stressful. Sometimes professionals are rude and to add another requirement for performance, such as compliance with a rudeness document is like a slap in the face.

As a retired physician, I am glad I left the profession before I became incorrigible and anti-social. I say humbug to the rudeness document. It is one more slap in the face for hardworking doctors.