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

The derm identity crisis at social events

Dr. Alpana Mohta
Physician
November 4, 2024
Share
Tweet
Share

Whenever I attend a social event, at least 10 to 20 percent of the attendees (second- or third-level friend or family connections) come to me with casual consultation requests.

To me, casual consultation requests are kind of similar to advertisements on free apps, with one difference: the time after which the skip button surfaces is highly variable and can be followed by multiple ads with no rhyme or reason.

What this does is take up more than 30 to 50 percent of my time at these events and leads to constant context switching. Ultimately, my experience becomes completely diluted since I have no control over what I want to do and who I want to talk to.

I remember one time, at a cousin’s wedding, right in the middle of enjoying my favorite plate of biryani, someone pulled me aside. They rolled up their sleeve and asked me to check out a rash. I obliged, thinking it would be a one-off, but by the end of the night, I felt like I had diagnosed more moles than I had meaningful conversations.

And it’s not just weddings. I’ve had people ask me about their skin concerns during festivals, casual dinners with friends, or even while I was sitting in an auto-rickshaw. To make matters even more awkward, I’ve had aunties (for some reason, it’s usually the aunties) ask me to examine rashes in their most private areas, often in the kitchen or some equally random corner during family get-togethers—where I’m left wondering how to escape without creating a scene.

I love the field of dermatology, and I enjoy helping solve skin problems. But I don’t enjoy being bombarded with unsolicited casual consults everywhere I go.

I understand that this is the nature of my profession and that other health professionals may also be facing this to an extent. However, I think that this is more rampant in dermatology. Non-skin health concerns are either too complex to be discussed, or their frequency is less than skin conditions.

With skin, all a person needs to do is point and ask, “How do I fix this?”

What’s worse is that I think the problem lies in my not understanding that not everyone is capable of the level of empathy I need them to have.

Then there’s the tricky part when people want a second opinion, hoping I’ll confirm—or contradict—another doctor’s diagnosis. They share their medical history, lab results, treatments, and whatnot, expecting me to give a definitive answer on the spot. Without access to their full records and a proper examination, it’s just not possible. Plus, giving medical advice like that blurs professional boundaries and accidentally creates a doctor-patient relationship, making us liable if things go wrong.

I’m sure it’s not just dermatologists who experience this. I’ve heard similar stories from colleagues in other fields—a physician getting asked about chronic constipation during a family dinner or an orthopedic surgeon fielding questions about joint pain at a community event. It seems like no matter what field you’re in, these casual consults follow you everywhere.

Many doctors I’ve spoken to have developed their ways of handling these requests. Some simply hand out their business cards and suggest scheduling an appointment. Others explain how it’s difficult to offer proper advice without the right tools or lighting and that a thorough examination in the clinic would be best. And then there are a few who directly say “no,” which is a completely valid (and empowering) response. After all, you wouldn’t expect an engineer to draft blueprints at a party.

Alpana Mohta is a dermatologist in India.

ADVERTISEMENT

Prev

How big business and government are shaping physician careers [PODCAST]

November 3, 2024 Kevin 0
…
Next

Voting from the hospital: How emergency ballots give patients a voice

November 4, 2024 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Dermatology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
How big business and government are shaping physician careers [PODCAST]
Next Post >
Voting from the hospital: How emergency ballots give patients a voice

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Are negative news cycles and social media injurious to our health?

    Rabia Jalal, MD
  • How I used social media to get promoted to professor

    David R. Stukus, MD
  • Why building your social media following is critical to your practice’s success

    Sheila Nazarian, MD
  • You are abandoning your patients if you are not active on social media

    Pat Rich
  • Social media: Striking a balance for physicians and parents

    Dawn Baker, MD
  • Physician burnout: the impact of social media on mental health and the urgent need for change

    Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Amy Bissada, DO & Jen Barna, MD

More in Physician

  • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

    Howard Smith, MD
  • The hidden chains holding doctors back

    Neil Baum, MD
  • 9 proven ways to gain cooperation in health care without commanding

    Patrick Hudson, MD
  • Why physicians deserve more than an oxygen mask

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • More than a meeting: Finding education, inspiration, and community in internal medicine [PODCAST]

    American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD
  • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

    Trisza Leann Ray, DO
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
  • Recent Posts

    • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Physician job change: Navigating your 457 plan and avoiding tax traps [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden chains holding doctors back

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Hope is the lifeline: a deeper look into transplant care

      Judith Eguzoikpe, MD, MPH | Conditions
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • From hospital bed to harsh truths: a writer’s unexpected journey

      Raymond Abbott | 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

Leave a Comment

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

    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
  • Recent Posts

    • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Physician job change: Navigating your 457 plan and avoiding tax traps [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden chains holding doctors back

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Hope is the lifeline: a deeper look into transplant care

      Judith Eguzoikpe, MD, MPH | Conditions
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • From hospital bed to harsh truths: a writer’s unexpected journey

      Raymond Abbott | 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

Leave a Comment

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

Loading Comments...