Paul Levy explores this further, and compares physicians to celebrities and sports figures:
All of this suggests a tremendous ambivalence about the profession and those in it. It’s really not that surprising. It is inherent in any position of power and influence and prominence and perceived wealth. We admire our political, commercial, and sports heroes but also are quick to call them bums and crooks when they don’t meet the standards we have set for them. We should expect some of that reaction in the highly personal field of medicine, especially since our interaction with a doctor is likely to occur when we are most vulnerable.
