Treating our own

One advantage of being in the medical profession is that you can avoid the tedium and delays of seeing a doctor simply by hailing a colleague. Over the years I have been consulted by many members of the consultant staff and by many other professionals, medical and non-medical. A friend calls these “corridor consultations,” and he always feels a little compromised by them. As a dermatologist he is particularly vulnerable: surely, they think, he just needs to have a quick glance to identify the problem? The funny thing is that many of colleagues who approach you teach students the importance of a careful history and full examination before formulating a diagnosis and treatment plan. They would be horrified if you suggested that all they needed to do was have a quick glance at the problem and would rant on about Osler and Asher and the value of the clinical examination.

I dread the words “I know you're not on duty”

So, is it a question of “Do as I say, not as I do,” …