Pet Peeves – an irritating experience caused by others in which you cannot control.
There are very few things that annoy me as a physician, so for your reading pleasure ….
- “I had some antibiotics left over, so I just took them for the cold I had last week, but they didn’t work, so that’s why I’m here.”
- “I went to the walk-in clinic (yesterday) and the doctor said I had a virus but I didn’t believe him, so I’m here to see you today, because you know, you’re my family doctor and I trust you.”
- “I made this appointment for myself, but could you look in my son’s ear … oh, and his foot? … and … [looking at her son, “Is there anything else that was bothering you?].”
- Cell phone rings in the middle of an appointment, “Excuse me for a minute, Doctor, I have to take this.” REALLY??
- Body odor.
- Patient calls to find out if I’m running late (I am not!) and then arrives a 1/2 hour late for his appointment.
These all just happened today.
I kid you not.
TGIF!
The Urban Dr. Mom 
I feel you on this. It is highly annoying.
Cell-phones: I do not work on my phone while seeing a patient and one expects they will reciprocate. I once had to wait ten minutes to draw blood on a patient because they decided to take a call as I was about to draw blood (tourniquet was on and everything). It’s not like I had a whole list of ward work waiting…
Leftover antibiotics: I once met a junior doctor who contracted TB (sad) and had some INH left over. When she gets sick she just takes that! a) you shouldn’t have antibiotics left over and b) she’s a doctor, one would expect her to be worried about resistance…
Wow!! On both counts!