Medicine’s dirty secret. Dr. Pamela Wible interviewed by Dr. LaKeisha W. McMillan. Fully transcribed below. Listen on iTunes or download MP3 here. Episode 68: “Shhh . . they want us to keep it a secret” with Dr. Pamela Wible. (Note: Interview with Dr. Wible starts at 5:30)
LM: I talked about us stepping outside of the box here at House Calls with Dr.
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Dear Dr. Wible,
Thank you for the work that you do. I have been following your push for humane medical education for several months now. I finally decided to contact you after reading your article about how “burnout” is actually abuse. I am a med student entering my third year.
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Tears in the operating room are different from tears cried by civilians, by veals. There are rules.
A single tear from one eye is unobjectionable. Two tears, either one from each eye or two from one eye are permitted if they are unaccompanied by sniffles.
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Step 1) Greet patient.
Step 2) While chatting, check all boxes in electronic medical record for a complete review of systems and physical exam. Copy and paste parts of previous chart note while looking at patient every once in a while.
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Dear Pamela,
I just worked 36 hours in 3 days. Stick a fork in me. Must have seen close to 200 patients [in the emergency department] and picked up a nasty head cold from one of them. My throat feels like sandpaper and my mouth feels like the bottom of a birdcage.
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Dear Pamela,
Question for you in regards to disclosure about mental illness. In every job that I have applied for, as part of the credentialing process, there are questions about felonies, treatment for drug/alcohol abuse and mental illness. Why are mental health questions still allowed to be on there?
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Please stop using the word burnout. You are not burned out. You’ve been abused. Let’s get the diagnosis right.
We enter medicine as inspired, intelligent, compassionate humanitarians. Soon we’re cynical and exhausted. How did all these totally amazing and high-functioning people get so f@*d up so fast?
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This is an email subject line from a doctor. Letter published with permission.
Hello Pamela
I have become so disillusioned with medicine. I do not know who to talk to any more or what to do with my life.
I work one week a month in the ICU.
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Doctor revived after suicide. Here's what he says.
