Medical ethics, boundaries, and why I chose to study Chinese Medicine

[solestria]

peaceofpie posted the following article on his Facebook feed:
Boundary Issues: A Doctor with MS Confides in Her PatientI definitely have some thoughts on this. Boundaries are hugely important in medical care--it's something we talk about in Chinese Medicine, and it's important all the way around

Comments

[solestria]

I'm not questioning the importance of boundaries, just so we're clear on that--having clear boundaries with patients is very important regardless of what kind of care you're providing. I also think providing a safe emotional space is incredibly important, and that it's very much possible to provide that in a place where you have clear boundaries.

I think I would treat family members, but partly because I enter into such a different head space when I do patient care. There's a sense of concerned detachment when I'm there with a patient, and from my experience so far, I'm capable of holding that space with someone I already know well. On the other hand, I also won't often be treating anything immediately life-threatening or dealing with emergency care; if I were, I might opt out of that.

And yes, I am all about informed choice (which is a beef I have with much of the medical industry in general--I think the focus is shifting, but a lot of doctors still prescribe treatments for patients without reviewing the options available).

I'm not against starting med school with dissection; what I take issue with is the "this is a body" approach to real living people.

[dragon212k]

i actually do agree with you on treating family for non-life threatening things. I'm sure at some point I'll be prescribing antibiotics, or PPI, or good old sleep to people. It's is during emergency care and life-threatening conditions that are judgement most often gets "skewed". If all goes as planned, I won't be doing any of that myself either. :)
Unfortunetly the "this is a body" approach IS the best way for us to learn anatomy, from a basic level. We learn the parts and then put it all together, which as long as this is tempered with a healthy respect for LIVING people is actually a very good way to learn basic anatomy. I actually like how we did it, ie do it all in 10 weeks (or so). It limits the impersonality of what we are learning, and allows us to more quickly go back to learning how to treat patients.