2 - Student and Faculty Cases
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2010
Summary
PATIENT WELFARE 1
A student, a few months into the winter of his first year of medical school, is increasingly anxious. He also has had frequent episodes of insomnia and abdominal pain. He is now struggling academically. Prior to medical school, he had no medical or mental health problems. Despite his ill health, he does not seek medical attention.
A Medical Student Perspective
When I place myself in this student's shoes, part of me is inclined to think, “I'm an adult. I can treat or ignore my health problems as I wish. My health is my business.” Do you agree? Can physicians' failure to care for themselves negatively impact their patients? Does caring for others introduce an ethical obligation to care for oneself?
As a medical student, my basic responsibilities for self-care expand when I assume the role of caregiver. I think my patient care responsibilities begin with a responsibility for my own health. A number of studies document an effect of physician health and health practices on patient care. For example, in an article on depression among medical students, Rosenthal and Okie report that failing to seek treatment for depression can have a negative impact on patient care. In a discussion of when it is appropriate for physicians to call in sick, Swinker acknowledges the dangers to patients when physicians continue to practice despite suffering from communicable illnesses such as TB or gastroenteritis.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Professionalism in MedicineA Case-Based Guide for Medical Students, pp. 25 - 112Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009