I saw an elderly patient a few months back for a gastrointestinal issue that fortunately led to a benign outcome. He was a modest man who spoke softly and used few words. As has been my custom for as long as I’ve sat across patients, I was interested to learn something of the man beyond the issue that brought him to see me. Indeed, it is these vignettes that I regard as the gems of my practice. Without them, I would be left only with the practice of medicine, and this would not be sufficient. He wore a military baseball style cap, emblazoned with a U.S.M.C. label. To those who do not immediately recognize what these letters stand for, then I suggest that you apply to medical school, become a physician, see patients so you also will have the opportunity to learn stuff that really matters. I learned that he served in the Pacific theater in World War II and asked him about his service there. While my father served in the war for 39 months, he remained in the United States,
MD Whistleblower presents vignettes and commentaries on the medical profession. We peek 'behind the medical curtain' and deliver candor and controversy in every post.