Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Why doctors are afraid of their patients

Robin Dickinson, MD
Physician
October 20, 2014
268 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

shutterstock_162128366

We all start out as idealistic medical students, downright puppy-like in our devotion to our patients, eagerly bounding to their rescue and spending hours listening to their concerns. Somewhere along the way, we start shutting down, seeing patients as demanding and feeling as if we’re always fighting them off.

I used to do it too; hide behind my layers of staff, complain to the office manager if a patient somehow made it to my voice mail instead of my MAs.  I took my turn at call with trepidation, not knowing who might page and what they might want.  A few times patients ended up with my personal email in one way or another and one time I returned a call from my cell instead of through the answering service; this direct access to me left me extremely anxious and uncertain.  But it seemed normal and natural to react to patients this way.

I think because I’ve had some time away from it, I’m now surprised by how fearful most doctors are of patients. When other physicians hear about my practice — that my patients can all page me at any time, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week; that my schedule is available online for them to book themselves an appointment whenever they want for whatever they want for as long as they want; that I don’t charge per appointment but just let them come in as often as they need — the other physicians invariably respond with horror, as if I’ve just volunteered to sacrifice myself to the barbarian hordes.  They seem to assume my patients will tear me limb from limb and give me no peace.

In reality, even with a three day weekend every weekend, it’s been weeks since I was last paged after hours.  And every after hours page has been for something I wanted to hear about: a nasty dog bite, a baby with a high fever, a diabetic with wildly fluctuating blood sugars.  I have never once had a patient schedule an appointment that I felt was inappropriate.  If anything, I have to badger my patients to come in because they don’t want to bother me.  Because by tearing down the wall between my patients and me, I’ve stopped the tug of war.  There’s no need for them to always be trying to get me.  Because they’ve got me.  I’m here for them.  I’m available when they need me.

And every single moment that they don’t need me, I’m home with my kids.  I don’t have to hide that fact and pretend that I’m sitting in my office, always ready to receive them.  Just as I don’t have to keep them from accessing me, I don’t have minimize my time off.  Since I’m always available, I’m also always free.

Ultimately, my open relationship with my patients means that I get to be who I am.  I never have to hide behind staff or behind a persona.  I like it that way and so do my patients.

Robin Dickinson is a family physician who practices in an ideal micropractice model.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The pain scale: Rating your pain needs context

October 19, 2014 Kevin 2
…
Next

To medical students and residents: It really does get better

October 20, 2014 Kevin 19
…

Tagged as: Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The pain scale: Rating your pain needs context
Next Post >
To medical students and residents: It really does get better

More by Robin Dickinson, MD

  • My child wants to be a doctor

    Robin Dickinson, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    How to create more primary care role models

    Robin Dickinson, MD

More in Physician

  • Physician return-to-work policies

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

    Joseph Barrera, MD
  • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

    Anonymous
  • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

    Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD
  • Practicing medicine with conviction

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • The power of memory in shaping human identity

    Emily F. Peters and Sandeep Jauhar, MD, PhD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Physician return-to-work policies

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • Communication, power dynamics, and organizational culture in health care

      Beth Boynton, RN, MS, CP | Conditions
    • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

      Joseph Barrera, MD | Physician
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Innovations in surgical education [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 95 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Mortality Risk From Damaged Bronchi Extends to People Without COPD
  • ChatGPT Improving, but Still Lacks Reliability as a Clinical Support Tool
  • COVID Vax in Pregnancy Protects Young Infants Against Omicron
  • Repeat Tests for Inflammation Aid Prognosis After Acute Heart Failure
  • FDA OKs Another Injectable for Rare Kidney Disorder

Meeting Coverage

  • Hot Flashes: Precursor to Alzheimer's Disease?
  • SABR Offers New Hope for Older Patients With Inoperable Kidney Cancer
  • Menopausal Women With Obesity Endure Worse Symptoms, Less HT Relief
  • Study Pinpoints Growing Use of Cannabis to Manage Menopause Symptoms
  • Fezolinetant Benefits Women Not Suited for Hormone Therapy
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Physician return-to-work policies

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • Communication, power dynamics, and organizational culture in health care

      Beth Boynton, RN, MS, CP | Conditions
    • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

      Joseph Barrera, MD | Physician
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Innovations in surgical education [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Why doctors are afraid of their patients
95 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...