Gifts for doctors

A few years ago I was was seen by a medical resident at Stanford's student health center while in the midst of an acute depression. The arrangement was temporary--I was new to her practice and still in the process of finding a permanent doctor; she was in the infancy of her career, completing her residency.  

Despite my transience and her inexperience, she rose to the occasion, alleviating my worst depression in fifteen years.  To show my appreciation I brought a small thank-you gift to our penultimate session. After all, I'm from the South, where appreciation often manifests as a tin of brownies and a thank you note, and where the waiting room of my North Carolina psychiatrist is filled with decorative items from grateful patients.

The gift to my psychiatrist at Stanford was not as well-received. Her awkward acceptance caught me off guard. Had I made a social misstep? Violated the bounds of the doctor-patient relationship?  Come off as desperate and needy? 

I felt a little bit like Keri Russel in The Waitress when her character "Jenna" brings a pie to her longtime doctor, but discovers that the doctor has retired and handed over her patient load to a new out-of-towner. An awkward moment ensues (although most of the doctor-patient awkwardness doesn't arise until Jenna and the new doctor begin a hot affair). 

I told my roommate about the gift-giving misstep with the Stanford pscyhiatrist. My roommate explained that the gift could be perceived as evidence of a psychiatric problem, possibly an attachment disorder or emotional neediness. Forget that cancer patients routinely thank their oncologist with sentimental presents--outside the South, thanking a psychiatrist with any degree of emotion is symptomatic of a mental disorder.

Her comments made me consider the role that culture plays in assessing behavior. Where do we draw the line between cultural eccentricities and medical symptoms? Seeing through the glaze of culture, I imagine, is difficult for doctors who only see patients for a short time. 

Misreading cultural cues creates a danger that we will pathologize benign (even beneficial) differences. This is the concern at the heart of the stringent civil liberties that guard against forced treatment in all but the most extreme circumstances. In such a diverse nation, these safeguards may be necessary to protect our democracy.

After all, if I were a doctor I'd be tempted to characterize terse New Englanders as antisocial; counter-culture hippies in San Francisco as having an adjustment disorder; and "tiger moms" as authoritarian personalities.  How would others perceive me? As perfectly normal, of course . . . if they're a southern, suburban professional :).

Along these lines, the MCAT may soon place more emphasis on the social and behavioral sciences in order to improve the cultural competency of doctors.  Changes to the MCAT

**Unfortunately, I haven't been able to write as  frequenly as I would like. I've been staffed on several demanding merger cases. Merger cases are my most intense. Since there are only only 6-8 weeks between the announcement of a merger and the shareholder vote, all of discovery and briefing must occur on an expedited schedule. It's a crazy schedule, but also adrenaline pumping and addictive. I finally understand why some people become workaholics.

Comments

[LV Purses]

let's join our hands together to stop this kind of wrong doings. It may risk lives in the future if we just let them continue.