Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

A physician’s sudden, disastrous day. And its tragic consequences.

Peter Yellowlees, MBBS, MD
Physician
May 30, 2019
Share
Tweet
Share


An excerpt from Physician Suicide: Cases and Commentaries.

“Dear Richard and Yvonne,

I feel I have no choice but to end my life and am doing so in the hope that you will take this letter and employ it in the way that I suggest below. Please use what has happened to me as an example to help prevent the same tragedy happening to the patients of elderly physicians who have continued practicing past the time when it was safe for them to do so. I now know, as a result of the recent tragedy that led to the suspension of my medical privileges, and which effectively ended my career in disgrace last week, that I have “Mild Cognitive Impairment” which may be the beginning of dementia. Some may think me weak, but I cannot face the inevitable investigations that will occur into my errors, and so I prefer to die …

I had to finally face the fact last week that I was no longer competent to practice medicine, and cannot face the knowledge that it took my mistakes, and the unnecessary deaths of two patients, for me to understand this. As we have talked about on the phone I had this one dreadful day in the clinic where everything happened at once, and I just couldn’t cope. We were short-staffed that day, and I was the only attending present, but that is no excuse. To have two patients suddenly get really sick at the same time was bad luck, or so many observers might say, but I know that a few years ago, I would have managed them fine. The reality is that last week, I was a major part of the problem, and I couldn’t manage the two patients together …

I am so sorry to have made you suffer through my obstinacy, and my insistence on continuing to practice medicine when I was not fit to do so. I am going to join your mother and hope that she will understand and forgive me. I love you both. Dad.”

Having read the note, Dr. Bryant carefully folded it and put it back in the envelope addressed to his son and daughter. He sighed and took a last sip of his scotch, setting the crystal glass down on the small table beside his note. He stood up slowly and stretched as he looked around the garage. He could see the camping gear, garden tools, and old paint cans from projects he and Ethel had done together over decades. He noticed the thick layers of dust everywhere as he had not touched anything in the garage in the past few years.  He climbed his wooden ladder and steadied himself by holding a rafter in his left hand, while he put the prepared noose around his neck with his right hand. He made sure the knot was at the back of his neck, well centered, so that it would break his cervical vertebrae and spinal cord without any difficulty, glanced briefly at the box of his prize butterflies hanging on the wall, and stepped off the ladder.

Commentary

Dr. Bryant’s tragic story is, sadly, not unusual. A very sad finish to a lifetime of service and care that was preventable, and should have been avoided. He most likely had a combination of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and depression, both disorders leading him to be unable to respond flexibly in an emergency situation, where rapid thinking and decision making is required, even though he may have appeared to be cognitively competent and capable of handling most routine day to day medical work. As a consequence his actions in the scenario led to disaster and revealed his lack of continuing competence to function as a physician in a way that was personally humiliating and medically appalling.

Like the rest of the U.S. population, physicians are also aging, and a 2016 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges has shown that physician demand continues to outstrip supply, with over a third of active physicians predicted to be aged over 65 years within the next decade. The AAMC notes that as of 2016 physicians between the age of 65 and 75 already account for 11% of the active workforce, while those aged 55 to 64 make up another 26%. The key question to consider is how can society best make use of the experience and commitment of the great majority of elderly physicians, many of whom wish to continue working past the normal retirement age. The great majority of physicians are likely to be physically and psychologically fit to practice into their 70s and 80s and occasionally even longer if they wish. There needs to be a process to allow them to be able to do so as long as they maintain their fitness for practice, while at the same time ensuring that those physician’s who become unfit to practice, are able to cease working and retire with their dignity, reputation and safety record intact.

Peter Yellowlees is a psychiatrist and author of Physician Suicide: Cases and Commentaries.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

It’s time to rethink what it means to be a DO

May 30, 2019 Kevin 2
…
Next

You can save your baby for $2 million. Can we afford to do this?

May 31, 2019 Kevin 3
…

Tagged as: Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
It’s time to rethink what it means to be a DO
Next Post >
You can save your baby for $2 million. Can we afford to do this?

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • Match Day: Leaving behind my polished applicant identity and becoming a physician trainee

    Simone Phillips
  • Physician Suicide Awareness Day: Where are the patients? 

    Jennifer M. Sweeney
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD
  • The black physician’s burden

    Naomi Tweyo Nkinsi

More in Physician

  • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

    Patrick Hudson, MD
  • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

    Howard Smith, MD
  • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Marketing as a clinician isn’t about selling. It’s about trust.

    Kara Pepper, MD
  • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

    Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD
  • How art and science fueled one woman’s path to medicine

    Amy Avakian, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • What the research really says about infrared saunas

      Khushali Jhaveri, MD | Conditions
    • How the cycle of rage is affecting physicians—and how to break free

      Alexandra M.P. Brito, MD and Jennifer L. Hartwell, MD | Conditions
    • Why ADHD in adults is often missed—and why it matters [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Dedicated hypermobility clinics can transform patient care

      Katharina Schwan, MPH | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • What the research really says about infrared saunas

      Khushali Jhaveri, MD | Conditions
    • How the cycle of rage is affecting physicians—and how to break free

      Alexandra M.P. Brito, MD and Jennifer L. Hartwell, MD | Conditions
    • Why ADHD in adults is often missed—and why it matters [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Dedicated hypermobility clinics can transform patient care

      Katharina Schwan, MPH | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

A physician’s sudden, disastrous day. And its tragic consequences.
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...