Having practiced medicine for over 40 years, I retired almost 10 years ago (seems like yesterday). I was fortunate to remain healthy throughout my career but, in recent years, have become a patient, witnessing medical care from the other side of the fence.
While physicians preach preventive health care, they are not always shining examples themselves; indeed, the old adage is "Do as I say, not as I do." Prior to the 1970s (and perhaps a bit later) many doctors still smoked in their offices and few engaged in regular exercise, blaming long hours of work, day and night. As patients, we have the advantage of understanding our illness, including its evaluation, treatment and prognosis and, in general, that makes most of us more compliant (though at times opinionated) patients. We also (justified or not) tend to receive more attention and respect from other healthcare workers.
On the other hand, we more clearly appreciate the skill and professionalism of the various physicians, nurses, technicians and clerks who are involved in our management. Perhaps harboring some negative feelings from our time in practice, we now witness the challenges, complaints and sheer volume of interactions that they must face in the course of a day. In my case, they have always been friendly, kind and more than capable. Perhaps it would be helpful if all physicians experienced some personal medical care early in our careers.
