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

Treat the physical exam with the respect it deserves

Marissa Camilon, MD
Physician
April 14, 2016
20 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

I adored the physical exam in medical school. We were taught the exam by sections, and I devoured one after another. No matter how much I had learned about physiology, it was during our physical exam sessions that I finally started to feel like I was learning how to be a doctor. We were getting the tools we needed to really take care of patients. We would have the means to collect our medical data and see the pathophysiology come to life.

Sometime in residency, physical exams lost their magic. I wouldn’t say it was on any particular day. It became part of the routine. As an intern, I would be seeing the same patients for several days in a row in the early morning hours. We both came to expect it: the same questions, the same exam, and my regular quick retreat to get my data to my team. When I started to feel the pressure of seeing patients as quickly as I could, I started to view physical exams as a checkbox on my list of things to do before going on to the next patient. Hundreds of patients later, it became a reflex.

Then I had the luck (or misfortune) of treating my soon-to-be brother-in-law in the emergency department. I had just grabbed his legs and then abdomen mid-sentence when I noticed his weird looks and nervous remarks. In the years we had known each other, never had a situation presented itself for me to need to look for edema. Nor had we ever had a conversation during which I would grab for his gut. No wonder he thought this was strange. We weren’t strictly defined by just the doctor-patient relationship as I am with so many of my patients. He was my patient, yes, but also someone who knew me as more than just his doctor.

While this may have been acceptable behavior for years as a training physician, it suddenly occurred to be that in any other social setting, it really wasn’t. When I walk down the street, I don’t want a stranger suddenly grabbing a part of my body. Even among friends, that could be seen as a strange behavior. What made it so different now? Yes, I may be a physician, but everyone still has a right to their own sense of personal space, especially my patients.

Though I will be eternally grateful to my former patients I’ve had for giving me the opportunity to care for them, I realize just how much trust they put in me to let me into their personal space. And now is the time for me to live up to the trust by respecting the personal space of each of my patients, either by asking if I can do a physical exam or just letting them know that I will be starting one. The physical exam has become another privilege that I have as a physician to bond with my patients. It should be treated as one.

Marissa Camilon is an emergency medicine resident. This article originally appeared in the American Resident Project.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Here's why you can't believe "top hospitals" lists

April 14, 2016 Kevin 6
…
Next

Burnout is a consequence of the deprofessionalization of medicine

April 15, 2016 Kevin 11
…

Tagged as: Emergency Medicine

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Here's why you can't believe "top hospitals" lists
Next Post >
Burnout is a consequence of the deprofessionalization of medicine

More by Marissa Camilon, MD

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    The importance of having mentors in medicine

    Marissa Camilon, MD

Related Posts

  • Don’t be mean: Treat your team members with respect

    Aaron Lacy
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • Talking politics in the exam room

    Hayward Zwerling, MD
  • How physical should medical training be?

    Orly Farber
  • The case against the Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam

    Madeline Wozniak
  • What this student learned from a standardized patient exam

    Adam Nessim

More in Physician

  • How can there be joy in medicine if there is no joy in Mudville?

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

    Cindy Rubin, MD
  • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

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

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • 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
  • Past 6 Months

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

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • 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 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
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How can there be joy in medicine if there is no joy in Mudville?

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Uncovering the truth about racial health inequities in America: a book review

      John Paul Mikhaiel, MD | Policy
    • Why electronic health records are failing patients: the dark side of copy and paste [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician

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 2 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

  • 'Medically Relevant to Saving the Life of Your Patient': What We Heard This Week
  • Want to Solve the Nurse Shortage?
  • Why Are Female Doctors Sued Nearly Half as Often as Male Doctors?
  • What Drug Did FDA Just Approve for COVID?
  • PET Scan for Alzheimer's Dx; Predicting Colon Cancer Survival

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

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • 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
  • Past 6 Months

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

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • 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 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
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How can there be joy in medicine if there is no joy in Mudville?

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Uncovering the truth about racial health inequities in America: a book review

      John Paul Mikhaiel, MD | Policy
    • Why electronic health records are failing patients: the dark side of copy and paste [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician

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

Treat the physical exam with the respect it deserves
2 comments

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

Loading Comments...