A tall order

I was first criticised for my height in a communication skills session. When it was time for feedback, the patient was asked how he thought I'd done. He frowned, then exclaimed: “You're incredibly tall. Having you stare down at me from a great height is terrifying. You can't do that to patients. It's so intimidating.”

Reasonably taken aback I apologised for being tall, which to my surprise the patient accepted. He told me that sitting without permission was rude, but that looking down from a great height without asking permission was also rude. I was told to experiment to find out what worked.

I found myself …