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

This family physician doesn’t like to do procedures. And she’s OK with it.

Christine C. Chen, MD
Physician
May 19, 2015
306 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Some doctors love to do procedures.  Stitching, skin biopsies, removal of ingrown toenails — you name it, they’ll do it, and then they’ll ask for more.  In fact, I used to have a senior partner who actually told me he preferred doing procedures more than any other type of visit.  When I asked him why he enjoyed procedures so intensely, he shrugged and said, “Because I don’t have to think too much.”

I, on the other hand, have never gone out of my way to do procedures.  For years, I regarded my aversion to procedures as a character flaw.  I watched my classmates and fellow residents compete for the next laceration repair and wondered what was wrong with me.  Why didn’t I like procedures?  Wasn’t it the doctor’s sacred right to hold the scalpel?  Shouldn’t I be honored and thrilled to do this?  And shouldn’t I be clamoring for more opportunities to break human skin?

As a family physician, disliking procedures is a major drawback not only because it makes me feel like less of a doctor, but because it decreases my earning potential.  Let’s face it: Medical procedures are lucrative.  In today’s world, medical tasks that require manual dexterity are still reimbursed at better rates than those that require mental deliberation.  Part of the reason specialists earn more than primary care doctors is because specialists, for the most part, do more procedures.

With this in mind, I recently sat down to examine the reasons for my dislike of procedures.  Here are the possibilities I considered.

Simple squeamishness.  I’ve ruled this out almost completely, since I could never have made it through medical school and residency if this were the case.  I saw plenty of blood and guts during my training, and although the scenes might have been malodorous or graphic, I never passed out or fainted.

Leftover trauma from the days of surgical training.  It’s possible I have PTSD from my experiences in operating rooms during my training, when surgical attendings yelled or snapped at me for contaminating the surgical field.  After two or three such experiences, I learned to keep my gloved hands to myself, unless explicitly directed where to place them.  To this day, I don’t like being around sterile fields, sterile gloves, or sterile instruments.

Not wanting to cause the patient any discomfort.  Rationally, I know that sometimes doctors “have to hurt in order to help,” and it’s impossible to avoid all discomfort.  But if there’s the slightest grunt or grimace from the patient, I will start to sweat.  Some people might say that this is a different type of squeamishness, and I can’t argue with them.

Last of all, and probably most important:

Lack of time.   Another major reason for my aversion to procedures is the knowledge that any hope of staying on schedule has just evaporated.

Because procedures take time.

And I’m slow.

And clumsy.

This baffles me, because in other situations, my fingers have amazing dexterity.  I can play the piano.  I can type 90 words a minute.  I can crochet, and do needlework, and pick up a single grain of rice with a pair of wooden chopsticks.  But put a pair of surgical gloves on me, and I might as well be wearing oven mitts.

The advent of skin adhesives like Dermabond (Super Glue for the skin, used for closing simple lacerations) was a godsend for me.  Instead of having to struggle with drapes and sterile instruments for half an hour, all I had to do was whip out a tube of Dermabond, hold the edges of the wound together, and glue them closed.  Voila!  Good as new in two minutes.  The only downside?  Sometimes I glued my gloves together.

Having completed my analysis, I’m not sure I’m any closer to a solution to my sticky “stitch”uation.  I still don’t relish the thought of a patient walking into the office with a laceration.  The good thing about family medicine, though, is that practitioners can tailor their practices as they like.  Procedure-averse doctors, like me, can choose to leave procedures to their more hands-on colleagues.  That is, if we’re willing to take a pay cut.

And for some, that may just be the most difficult procedure of all.

Christine C. Chen is a family physician.

Prev

How health IT is a barrier to patient satisfaction

May 19, 2015 Kevin 9
…
Next

This doctor bares his soul and describes what it's like to be a physician today

May 19, 2015 Kevin 17
…

Tagged as: Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
How health IT is a barrier to patient satisfaction
Next Post >
This doctor bares his soul and describes what it's like to be a physician today

More in Physician

  • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

    Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH
  • Revolutionizing emergency medicine: Overcoming long-term challenges with innovative solutions for physicians and patients

    Anonymous
  • The pediatric health care system tested to the limits: an inside look at the “at capacity” period during the tripledemic

    Jacqueline Bolt, MD
  • How chronic illness and disability are portrayed in media and the importance of daily choices for improved quality of life

    Juliet Morgan and Meghan Jobson
  • How biased language and stigmatizing labels affect patient care and treatment

    Joan Naidorf, DO
  • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Is AI the solution for the shortage of nephrologists? ChatGPT weighs in.

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Tech
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why HIPAA is failing and what you need to know to protect your data [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 16 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

  • What Drug Did FDA Just Approve for COVID?
  • PET Scan for Alzheimer's Dx; Predicting Colon Cancer Survival
  • What Happens When We Classify Kids' Weight as a 'Disease'?
  • Sotagliflozin Gets FDA's Blessing for Heart Failure
  • Cardiorespiratory Monitoring Can Be Telling of Outcomes in Extremely Preterm Infants

Meeting Coverage

  • No Access to Routine Healthcare Biggest Barrier to HPV Vaccination
  • Trial Results Spark Talk of Curing More Metastatic Cervical Cancers
  • Cross-Border Collaboration Improves Survival in Pediatric Leukemia Patients
  • Monoclonal Antibody Reduced Need For Transfusions in Low-Risk MDS
  • Less-Invasive Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer Proves Safe, Effective
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Is AI the solution for the shortage of nephrologists? ChatGPT weighs in.

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Tech
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why HIPAA is failing and what you need to know to protect your data [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

This family physician doesn’t like to do procedures. And she’s OK with it.
16 comments

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

Loading Comments...