Mental Illness in Doctors

[DrWahoo]

Hey ladies I don't know if this is a good idea, but is there a wiki on this site where we can post good articles we find ? Sort of like a resource repository ? I haven't explored the main site in along while and was even shocked to see how much it has changed. Good job, the joomla template looks great.

Anyway, here is an article I found

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pic...6&blobtype=pdf

Re: Mental Illness in Doctors

Thanks for posting this. It's disturbing and comforting at the same time: disturbing that docs work in such poor conditions, but comforting that DH is not alone in feeling depressed about it.

This particularly struck me:

Ironically, those who are most empathic are the most at risk.

DH says that one of the hardest things for him is just being a cog in the machine, under the constant demand to be "efficient" rather than give each pt the best care.

Re: Mental Illness in Doctors

DH says that one of the hardest things for him is just being a cog in the machine, under the constant demand to be "efficient" rather than give each pt the best care.

Yep - my DH says the same. Then there are the pts, like on ID, who are such a thankless lot of a-holes that he grows the thick skin he needs to have to get through this.

Residency is Teh Evil.

DH has some funny stories about how they smoke out pts who are scamming for pain meds in the ER. One strategy is to tell the pt that they have to have a digital rectal exam first, b/c the meds can compromise the integrity of the anal sphincter. (It's actually true, apparently.) Then DH says he has to step out of the exam room for a moment. Often when he goes back in, the pt is gone.