I am glad that Prof Frank earns more than her taxi driver (Physician,
Humble Thyself, BMJ 2009;339:b4218). Having just been charged £20 for the
15 minute cab journey to my night shift – easily wiping out my first
hour’s wages – I’m not sure the same could be said for many junior doctors
in the UK.
One thing which she does seem to have in common with many of her UK
counterparts, however, is the self-satisfied belief that her job is
somehow better than everyone else’s – a belief which is deplorably
widespread among doctors the world over. We go to great lengths to avoid
making value judgments about patients’ quality of life when faced, for
example, with resuscitation decisions. But quality of job is another
matter: we regard it as an unassailable truth that anyone who isn’t a
doctor is less fulfilled, less philanthropic and less well paid than we
are, and we pity them for it.
This conviction is far more harmful and socially divisive than the sense
of “entitlement” that Prof Frank seems so anxious to avoid. The last
thing her taxi driver needs, if his job really is as thankless, dull and
modestly paid as she supposes, is the self-congratulatory condescension of
his medical passengers. Better to stick to complaining. As Kierkegaard
wrote: “Adversity draws men together.”
Rapid Response:
Not as humble as we like to think
I am glad that Prof Frank earns more than her taxi driver (Physician,
Humble Thyself, BMJ 2009;339:b4218). Having just been charged £20 for the
15 minute cab journey to my night shift – easily wiping out my first
hour’s wages – I’m not sure the same could be said for many junior doctors
in the UK.
One thing which she does seem to have in common with many of her UK
counterparts, however, is the self-satisfied belief that her job is
somehow better than everyone else’s – a belief which is deplorably
widespread among doctors the world over. We go to great lengths to avoid
making value judgments about patients’ quality of life when faced, for
example, with resuscitation decisions. But quality of job is another
matter: we regard it as an unassailable truth that anyone who isn’t a
doctor is less fulfilled, less philanthropic and less well paid than we
are, and we pity them for it.
This conviction is far more harmful and socially divisive than the sense
of “entitlement” that Prof Frank seems so anxious to avoid. The last
thing her taxi driver needs, if his job really is as thankless, dull and
modestly paid as she supposes, is the self-congratulatory condescension of
his medical passengers. Better to stick to complaining. As Kierkegaard
wrote: “Adversity draws men together.”
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests