What happens when the doctor and the patient run into each other outside the office, in the real world?
For RL Bates, a plastic surgeon, the encounters can range from “Hey, there’s the lady who did my boob job!” to desperate glances from patients who pray she won’t out them (or their new boobs).
Doctor Rob’s reactions vary depending on the patient – happiness and concern for those patients he knows and loves vs. the old “duck and cover”, reserved for those few patients whose over-familiarity breaches the boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship.
Rural Doc’s small town practice gives her ample opportunity to run into her patients, who she hopes will stick to conversation about food and gardening, and leave the medical questions for the office.
Though New York isn’t exactly a small town, you’d be surpised how often I run into my patients outside the office. The nature of my business means that most of my patients feel rather intimate with me, even if, in truth, we don’t know each other very well. So, no matter where I am, conversations with my patients (and, come to think of it, even with strangers at parties) tend to get pretty personal pretty quickly.
For some reason, I don’t mind. Maybe it’s because I hate small talk.
And though as a rule, I really do prefer the office, I have to admit that I’ve done more than one breast exam for a worried woman at a dinner party (in an empty bedroom of course), and even diagnosed preterm labor once at a baby shower.
One problem I do have is names. I’m horrible at remembering them. I can recite almost eveything about someone and still not be able to tell you a name. I’ve tried to train my husband to introduce himeslf and ask “And you are?…”, but more often than not I find myself searching for a name when I encounter a patient outside the office setting. And I am ever so grateful to those patients who anticipate this and re-introduce themselves when we meet on the street.
My Favorite Out-of Office Patient Encounter
A few years back, I happened to take my daughter to a kid’s musical where one of my patients, an actor, was playing a lead role. It had been a fun show, and my patient had been hilarious. After the show, we all lined up for autographs from the performers, who were sitting behind a long table outside the auditorium. The audience was mostly women and their toddlers, a very casual crowd.
My patient, still in costume, saw me and gave me a big “Hey doc!” Then she said, “Wait a minute. You probably don’t recognize me. Here, I’ll make it easier for you”, swept her feet up onto the table in front of her and spread out her legs.
“She’s my gynecologist”, she explained to her fellow performers, all of whom nodded in complete understanding.
TBTAM, that’s so funny!
I have a friend who is married to a gastroenterologist (I suppose he is my friend too, but you get the drift). This issue torments him…one of his neighbors was a patient and at parties, the guy would get drunk and tell everyone about his expereinces in the office – clearly in an inappropriate tone and manner. They moved from their neighborhood over it.
I have run into my PCP once at the convenience store. I just said hello and moved on.
This issue also is similar to what teachers encounter with students. I had an eigth grade English teacher that was really out there – very funny woman. She claimed to never use a public bathroom near town in fear of running into students. She didin’t want them realizing she was just a mere mortal! Too funny.
LOL. That makes my tension the first time a student sold me my tampons at the small town grocery look even sillier.
LOL…”she’s my gynecologist…” That was so classic!! I had a few of those odd moments at a previous job, so I know how weird that can seem to encounter a doc (or a patient)out of context. Sometimes it makes them scratch their head, too. Thanks for the laugh!
LOL!
Anyway, context is everything.
I ran into a patient at a farmers market with his girlfriend and got introduced….then he told me he wasn’t taking a medicine that he had been prescribed (Gleevec/Imatinib….horrendously expensive anti cancer drug). So I *may* have dobbed him in to his specialist (who wasn’t at all surprised).
Like what schruggling says…my mother is a primary school teacher, and she runs into students everywhere she goes and always ends up talking to them for ages. Good to see how much they like her though.
I have been totally wierded out seeing my ob and pcp out in public. I would use the duck and cover and pretend I didn’t see them, lol. I live in a really small town where everyone knows everyone else. I ran into my pcp at the gym. Used duck and cover. I realized afterwards (cause she let me know) that it was ok to say hi and that it actually hurt her feelings when I didn’t. Same thing with my ob. Used duck and cover. He didn’t come outright and say hey you didn’t say hi. However, next time I was in the office getting weighed, had my back turned to him (had to face the scale), he stopped, tapped me on the shoulder, and said hi exaggerated. So I got it now. So I at least now say hello and go on my way. Still wierds me out with both of them for some reason.
That’s hilarious!
I’m the same way with names…. I can remember by how much the January, 1995 company checkbook balance was off – but not the name of the accountant who found the error. Give everyone a number and I’d be fine.