Blame

The next candidate was a boy. At the end of the interview, we asked whether he tried to figure out a doctor’s life through various channels.

“Ah yes,” he replied. “I read doctors’ blogs from time to time. One entry was particularly impressive. The doctor encountered a man with newly diagnosed lung cancer. He scolded the patient for smoking, but later found that he was actually a non-smoker. He regretted scolding the patient and explained the need to avoid stereotyping.”

“I beg to disagree,” my co-interviewer AC said. “We do not blame our patients regardless of what they have done. The patient may be a smoker, a drug addict, or a thief. But when he comes to us, he is our patient and deserves our attention and care.”