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

My biggest blind spot is me

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
Physician
November 7, 2021
19 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

I tend to size people up pretty quickly. Adult ADHD? I can diagnose it in about two minutes. Borderline personality disorder? About one minute. Bad actors on the Dr. Phil show? About 30 seconds (with the benefit of Dr. Phil’s preamble). I can’t help it. I attribute my habit of analyzing people to my training and practice in psychiatry. After a 40-year career in medicine, I can no longer delineate the psychiatrist from the private citizen. I don’t even try.

Physicians occupy a lofty perch in society, or at least they used to. Given their status and power, their transactions with people tend to be one-sided. Until social media arrived on the scene, doctors rarely received feedback about themselves. One of my mentors founded a utilization review company in the 1980s and was so bold as to name it TAO (pronounced T-A-O). The acronym stood for transaction organization. Naturally, the transaction flowed irreversibly from the doctor to the patient.

When I was a resident, I discovered a lot about myself.  Psychotherapy was all but mandatory for psychiatric residents. This was fortunate, because therapy provided me insight and allowed me to adapt my persona to a range of patients with varying psychopathology. Still, due to the unilateral nature of the doctor-patient relationship, I felt beyond reproach. Also, as a psychiatrist, I could write off any interpretation about my behavior as “transference.” I could simply inform my patients they were misdirecting their unconscious feelings and desires retained from childhood, which only strengthened my defenses and made me more impervious to other people’s views of myself.

My pomposity was eventually exposed by a patient. I thought the initial session went quite well, and I offered her the standard line, “Same time, next week?” She paused and replied, “I don’t think I can see you again.” I was shocked and inquired further. “Look at your plants,” she said, pointing to several of them wilting in my office, in desperate need of water. “If you can’t take care of your plants, how do you expect to take care of me!”

Thank goodness there were additional people in my life who gave me accurate feedback about how I came across to them–behaviors I didn’t have a clue, so-called blind spots. Sensitivity to others was once considered a prerequisite for a career in medicine. Somewhere along the way, in some of us, soft skills have taken a back seat to hard skills that enable us to endure medical training and the daily challenges of our profession – for example, competitiveness, perfectionism, and other “type A” traits. Medical training often comes at the expense of compassion and empathy, and we tend to over-compensate for our emotional deficits by elevating ourselves above our patients.

Medical bloggers who comment on my op-eds have given me a great deal of personal feedback, and they usually don’t sugarcoat their remarks. When I bemoaned the lack of professional courtesy customarily accorded physicians and their families, some physicians claimed I was entitled.  When I wrote that proving other people wrong can sometimes be a source of motivation to succeed – a strategy I used to gain acceptance into medical school ­– a physician replied that he “pitied” me. Another physician commented that proving others wrong initially demonstrated that I did not have what it takes to succeed in life –ambition, motivation, and perseverance. And when I wrote about some of my experiences working for health care organizations, specifically my fear of speaking out against my employer, one physician commented, “Dr. Lazarus, you did it to yourself. You sacrificed your independence for a paycheck and became a proletariat.”

While hard-hitting comments from colleagues were difficult to swallow, I knew they deserved my attention. It is well known that physicians have blind spots to the business of medicine, especially their employment contract options, but it is rarely appreciated that people from all walks of life know a significant amount about us yet we are in the dark. Many physicians recognize when their patients are noncompliant with treatment, but they may be incapable of recognizing faults in their own behavior. Common blind spots in physicians include:

  • Cutting patients off before they are finished speaking;
  • Lecturing patients without letting them get a word in; and
  • Multitasking when they should be listening.

Doctors with large blind spots have very little insight about themselves and their impact on patients. They may be able to make decisions and act quickly, but with little concern for the effect of their actions, and even less thought given to introspection.  On the other hand, doctors with relatively small blind spots are practiced at noticing things about themselves and have a good bedside manner. It is important for physicians to connect the insight they have about themselves with the self-awareness they have gleaned from their patients and colleagues in order to maintain a balanced perspective on patient care.

Recently, I shared the content of some of my contentious online exchanges with a colleague. He nodded knowingly. “My biggest blind spot is me,” he jokingly remarked.

Arthur Lazarus is a psychiatrist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Listening to patients with our eyes

November 7, 2021 Kevin 0
…
Next

How I learned to let go of perfectionism: a lesson from my mother's suicide

November 7, 2021 Kevin 3
…

Tagged as: Practice Management, Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Listening to patients with our eyes
Next Post >
How I learned to let go of perfectionism: a lesson from my mother's suicide

More by Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

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

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Medicine is a joke, except no one is laughing

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • When an MBA degree meets medicine: an eye-opening experience

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Related Posts

  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • A medical student’s biggest fear

    Ariana Trautmann
  • One of the biggest lessons medical school can teach you

    Prerana Chatty, MD
  • What’s the biggest problem with medical education?

    The Curious Radiologist, MD
  • The biggest addiction problem in the U.S.? Health insurance.

    Jeffrey Gold, MD
  • The biggest health care fix: a relentless focus on primary care

    Suneel Dhand, MD

More in Physician

  • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

    Zahid Awan, MD
  • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

    Marie Livesey, DO
  • Heartwarming stories of cancer patients teaching us about life and the human spirit

    Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH
  • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

    Jeffrey A. Singer, MD
  • The meaning of death in medicine: the role of compassionate care in end-of-life patient care

    Ton La, Jr., MD, JD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

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

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • 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 | Physician
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • 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
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • “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 point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, 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

    • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

      Zahid Awan, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

      Marie Livesey, DO | Physician
    • The unjust reality of racial disparities in pediatric kidney transplants

      Lien Morcate | Conditions
    • The pros and cons of taking a gap year during medical school

      Med School Insiders | Education, Sponsored
    • A family physician’s journey on the OIG list and the struggle to return to practice [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 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

  • What's With the Buzz Around NAD+ Injections?
  • Standing, Walking After Major Surgery Tied to Less Risk of Post-Op Complications
  • Tenapanor Improves Abdominal Symptoms in Patients With IBS-C
  • How to Overcome the Catch-22 in Precision Medicine Research
  • Spell Check-Up: Try to Pass This Spelling Test

Meeting Coverage

  • Tenapanor Improves Abdominal Symptoms in Patients With IBS-C
  • Benefits Found for Hand OA Drug Treatments
  • MRI-Based Screening May Detect Prostate Cancer Earlier
  • New Model Aims to Study Intestinal Fibrosis in Crohn's Disease
  • Hypertension Tied to Worse Survival After Surgery for Upper Tract Urothelial Cancers
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

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

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • 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 | Physician
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • 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
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • “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 point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, 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

    • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

      Zahid Awan, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

      Marie Livesey, DO | Physician
    • The unjust reality of racial disparities in pediatric kidney transplants

      Lien Morcate | Conditions
    • The pros and cons of taking a gap year during medical school

      Med School Insiders | Education, Sponsored
    • A family physician’s journey on the OIG list and the struggle to return to practice [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

My biggest blind spot is me
2 comments

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

Loading Comments...