Why Good Friends Don’t Always Make Good Doctors

“Even when someone is quite ill, the doctor can’t worry about hurting the person or the person’s feelings. Sorry, but the next biopsy or the next surgery or the next awful test must be done. Trying to soften the blow in the name of friendship invites disaster. Stated another way, a better question to ask your doctor is: ‘What would you do if it were a total stranger?’”

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