A Canadian physician can’t help himself from giving breast exams from behind:
In his defence on the latest charges by the college, Li told the disciplinary committee it had been his practice to examine breasts from behind for more than 20 years. A medical expert told the panel he “never either heard or read of performing such an examination from behind.”“Although this was not, in the panel’s view, a case of sexual abuse, it was the case of a physician ignoring what he had been taught as an appropriate examination technique,” the disciplinary committee said.
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{ 8 comments }
Yes, wehre was the chaperone?
I felt a little uncomfy getting a thryoid exam from behind, and it IS a frequently used exam position.
I would go so far as to suppose there might actually be some medical advantage to the unorthodox breast exam technique, as there is in stand-to the rear thyroid palpation – but it’s such a close and “familiar” examination, it’s best to keep the contact clearly cold and clinical.
Nothing like a third wheel in the exam room to dispel wrong ideas.
I trained IN Canada. Using a chaperone is an American idea, due to the litigousness in this country. I never saw a chaperone used in Canada, they didn’t even teach us about chaperones. We were taught however, to be careful when we examined females that we weren’t doing anything that could be construed as sexual. Most private physicians in Canada don’t make enough money to hire female assistants to stand there while they examine a patient. But in the US, where health care dollars are flushed down the toilet every day with entire “risk management” departments, to protect us from the legal sodomites, a chaperone is a cheap investment.
I’m guessing you’re just the kind of physician who needs a chaperone.
Geez Sarah, Does your doctor examine your thyroid from behind while you’re sitting on a stool? Does he (I assume it’s a “he” if your’re uncomfortable with this technique) press his groin into your back? If so, I’d have to agree there exists the likelihood that he should rethink the logistics of the exam.
“I’m guessing you’re just the kind of physician who needs a chaperone.”
And I’m guessing you should have a Cop around when you and your lawyer friends go on your little “Thai Boy Junkets” every year around christmas.
Kevin: Registering your guests is not enough in this case….You have some loose cannons on several fronts. Edit at will.
I’ve had that type of exam performed by three doctors. These thyroid exams have been done standing. Some loss of daylight between the participants was experienced. Enough to be slightly blushworthy.
There was of course no impropriety at all and none was suspected by me on any level. It’s just a very “familiar” position comically reminiscent of, uh, “romance” when performed by a member of the opposite sex.
Even when the the real object of Dr. Mcfeely’s, Mctouchy’s and McPalp’s affections is a decidedly unromantic thyroid nodule.
Thyroid exams have been taught that way (from behind) in medical schools across the country for years. I never even thought of it as a risk of sexual impropriety until reading this blog. From now on i’ll use a chaperone, though I think I may be laughed at for it.
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