Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Flattery will get you nowhere

Part of the medical business is referring patients to other doctors, and reading their notes when/if they write back to you. Usually the letters are brief and business-like, but occasionally there's something out of the ordinary.

A few weeks ago I sent a lady to a cardiologist. I received his consult note yesterday, and saw this line. Apparently they discussed me, and he felt the need to comment on it.

I haven't changed it at all, except to take my name out.

(click to enlarge)



P.S. Dr. Ventricle: You spelled "Marx" wrong.


29 comments:

Anonymous said...

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"



Pattie, RN

The Mother said...

I can think of worse...

Anonymous said...

The real question is, how would she know that SHE reminds YOU of Groucho? Does she have a sweet mustache?
:)

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Yeah, the letter was full of oddball typos. But in the era of dictation software and shitty proofreading skills, I just ignore them.

She'd actually told me the same thing in the past, but I was surprised it came up in conversation with another doctor. Or ended up in a dictation.

Flintstone said...

I have a question on dictation. Do all doctors generally do their dictation after office hours or as you are seeing the patient? The doctors I see only seem to write down by hand as I'm talking to them.

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Everyone is different. I take hand notes, then dictate when I have time. Others type on the fly.

Anonymous said...

Do you look like him or are funny like him? We need more information.

Moose said...

Hooray for Captain Spaulding, the African explorer, hooray, hooray, hooray!

Doris said...

It's the magic marker mustashe and eyebrows, I know it!

>:p

Anonymous said...

So when you whack their knee with a hammer does a duck drop down from the ceiling with a $100 bill in its beak?

Li'l Azathoth said...

Does she look like Margaret Dumont?

Anonymous said...

Hawkeye Pierce.

Anonymous said...

A doctor I used to go to looked just like Stephen King. He had a scull in his office...a real one, and every Halloween he stuck a light in it and carried it all around the village. When I had an appointment with him, he used to tell me stories about how Playboy rated his college as a top one because it was one of the first to allow co-ed dorms. Yeah, had he ever referred me to someone else I may have mentioned all that just because it's a conversation starter and kind of amusing. And if I were the doctor that it had been mentioned to, I might have put it in a note just to break balls. :)

ndenunz said...

Have you ever shot an elephant in your pajamas?

bobbie said...

You smoke cigars?!?!?!?!?!?
;-)

Crazy Newt said...

Outside of a dog, patient consults are a neurologist's best friend! Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read!

Arzt4Empfaenger said...

Heh heh! :)

Anonymous said...

well one of your posts was headed " a night at the opera".

Mrs A said...

"hehehe, aaahh wise guy!"

compoundingRPh said...

One of my all time favorites: "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."

Anonymous said...

Are you hoping that putting the word "Marx" in your blog will get you reinstated into the lucrative Chinese market?

Pam said...

:D

Helen said...

All the best (or at least weirdest) things happen to you.

Anonymous said...

SHE reminds HIM of Groucho Marx? Do you really tell your patients which Marx brother they remind you of?

a.generic doc said...

Gee, the picture of you on the blog looks nothing like Groucho.

Mark In Mayenne said...

She meant grouchy Marx, I'm sure.

thegooddrlaura said...

Now we know you really look like that.

Ben S said...

A significant presence? It is significantly better for a doctor to be present when a patient is visiting them.

Anonymous said...

I'm totally with Ben.S - the "significant presence" is what jumped put at me...is it physical, figurative or intellectual?!??? As for Grumpy/Grouchy Marx - you have just added another interesting image of the 6ft4 buff tanned chap that we have of you now...

 
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