Caitlin Bass is a hospice and palliative care fellow.
You should like your doctor.
Whether or not you like your doctor matters. It matters because if you don’t like your doctor, you’re not going to be honest and forthcoming. Your doctor needs you to be honest and forthcoming to take good care of you. And you want good care.
But, realistically, you may not like your doctor. You figured that was OK. You probably don’t see your doctor that often and …
It’s 8:00 p.m., and it’s hour 14 in my 28-hour call shift at the large suburban hospital where I’m an intern.
You demand to speak with a doctor now, right now. You cannot wait. Your mother is sick, and you want to know exactly what is going on.
It doesn’t matter that we already spoke at length by phone earlier this afternoon. It doesn’t matter that it’s 8:00 p.m. It doesn’t matter …
We stand outside in the heat. We swat at the occasional persistent mosquito. We try to ignore the sweat beading down our foreheads and the backs of our necks. We retreat to the deepest recesses of shade we can find. We wish for a hint of a wisp of a smidgen of a breeze. We hold court on life and love. We laugh and tease and are determined to have …
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