What should physicians do when patients are racist?
Our team is nearing the end of our call day when the ER pages us with one last admission. The ER attending starts with an apology — “I’m sorry,” she sighs, “this patient is a handful. He is homeless, belligerent, has a significant psychiatric history. He came in with ocular trauma. The ophthalmology resident thinks he may need surgery.” One of the interns on the team is busy with a …