Is it ever ok to date a patient?

Interesting to note that the article presumed this is male physicians having a relationship with one of their female patients.

Surely there must be a female physician or two who’s had the hots for a male patient.

By and large, the medical world seems to be very sexist.

It’s against the code of ethics for a doc to sleep with patients, they spell it out pretty clearly. Sorry if it spoils all the fun. Surely, a doc can get a date from someone who isn’t paying him/her?

I think it is interesting that crazy doc displays a seemingly easy relationship with prostitutes.

What about dermatologists. If your only obligation to the patient is to scrape a barnacle and you’ll never see them again and they ask you out, why not?

I can see if you are their psychiatrist or primary care doctor.

What I think is more irresponsible is if you approach a patient sexually for only sexual gratification. I’m suppose I’m rationalizing, but the blanket statement of never doing that just seems too absolute.
b

p.s.–I married the OT, not a patient or nurse

I am with anon at 7:23.
Obviously if it is a question of sex or a short-term fling or if one of the people is married, it is better not to get involved. But what if both people are looking for something serious and feel there is a potential? It may be easy to find someone to sleep with, but it is very difficult to find the right person – something that married people don’t grasp.

Also, it is one thing if it is an ongoing long-term professional relationship, but if it is of a type where a patient only comes once or twice a year for checkups and can easily switch doctors; or if it is a short-term thing (dermatologist example above), why would terminating the professional relationship and trying dating for a little while (and taking it very slowly, becoming friends first, etc.) be a problem? If there is a potential for something serious, surely two people owe it to themselves to find out? Assuming both are interested.

What most married people don’t understand is that it is very difficult to find the right man (I assume the same applies to men looking for women). So if you find someone you feel has potential, you don’t want to give it up. Because you might just not find anyone else. Especially if you are over 35.

Diora, I guess the physician has to decide if it’s worth the risk. Because if it ends badly, they’re in a hell of mess.

There is an inherent inequality in the professional relationship between a doctor and a patient. Society grants certain powers to doctors (prescribe drugs, examine and treat one’s body, proscribe certain behaviors, etc.)which, even if the doc is unaware of it, could influence how patients react. If even one patient’s trust in you to act like a doc is challenged by your come-on, you have let society down.

“Something I am curious about. I am not at all sure that any of my doctors would recognize me outside of the office (not that I am interested in any of them – one is a female and one is too old). Do you think that if you were to meet one of your patients at a party you’d recognize them? Because this’d create a whole different situation – meeting someone outside and then find out some months later that he/she was a patient.”

While it’s an ongoing joke in medical circles that doctors see too many patients to remember, the fact of the matter is that this might be the case, and it might not be.

My situation is a bit different in that I’m not a physician, but I see probably a 100-150 patients in a given shift at the pharmacy, and I know a good 80% of them. By name. And these aren’t just the people that come in once or twice a week. These are people that I only see once every 3 months or so.

So I see more people on a daily basis than a doctor, I see them more often, but for less time. So it probably balances out.

And I have met patients in social settings before, where I didn’t know I was going to run into them, but it hasn’t ever been awkward. Perhaps the informality of the pharmacy allows me to form relationships with them outside purely medicine, but it’s never a problem having a conversation from person-to-person.

It’s actually kind of nice. You get to meet people outside of their medical issues and they get to meet you outside of your white coat. Human-to-human. It helps to have the equivalent of what would be considered a “good bedside manner” though. I find building a relationship with someone outside their medical issues helps build trust when it comes to medical issues as well. It’s a nice little constructive positive-feedback loop.

…And has there ever been an incident where a patient does end up dating their psychiatrist; and he doesn’t end up losing his job in the process?

I currently am VERY interested in one of my doctors and the feeling is mutual, although neither has acted on it or spoken of it. I am not stupid or being taken advantage of in any way. It’s just chemistry.
On the other hand, I’ve had a doctor let his fingers do the walking where they didn’t belong .. a TOTALLY different situation!! I have no problem with a doctor asking me out, but groping is another matter entirely.
Perhaps there should be a way for the patient to make a statement that they are entering this relationship of their own free will. I can see the sense of switching doctors as emotions may enter into the treatment otherwise. I’d be willing to do that.

Is it ok to date a patient, if there was only one appointment? Is it ok to date a patient, if there were only four appointments?

I see that is not ok to date your doctor but once you no longer their patient they should be able to date who they choose.

I’m in the similar situation in that there was chemistry from the moment I met my Doctor/Surgeon his attitide towards me was more casual and flirtatious than professional at times. And any opportunity he had for physical contact he took without without completing crossing the line..although coming close on a few occasions.
I didn’t have the guts to call hom on it in the office, but tried to make contact on via internet if he was interested in meeting, without a response but am now realizing the risk involved and that I should have said something in person. Will try on our next appointment and ask to terminate.. just can’t find an answer for what the “cooling off” period is in the state of new york?

My father was my mother’s ER doctor 30 years ago. she broke her arm horseback riding and the rest is history. People are entirely too uptight and really most doctors needn’t obsessed. There are very few who look like George Clooney. MOST look like George Costanza. *shivers*