As a physician, it is difficult to admit to a lack of control
“Why aren’t you treating this patient?”
Over the phone, the pediatrician’s voice crackled with disdain. I had just spent the last 5 minutes explaining why I didn’t think surgery was necessary for a patient whom the pediatrician had referred to me (unwillingly, as she pointed out during our conversation — the patient’s insurance wouldn’t cover visits to the much bigger competitor hospital that she normally referred to). I remembered the little …
