Sometimes It's Hard To Know How To Respond
Patient: I have a hard time keeping track of my meds at home.
Dr. Turbo: I wonder if one of those “medi-set” pill organizers would help?
Patient: I had one, but it didn’t work. The pills didn’t fit into the holes.
Dr. Turbo: Oh-- your pills were too big?
Patient: No. The holes were too small.
----
Patient: They were giving me a nicotine patch before I got transferred here.
Dr. Turbo: Okay. Would you like to continue using the patch?
Patient: No. I heard that nicotine stuff is bad for you. I’m going to go back to smoking.
Dr. Turbo: I wonder if one of those “medi-set” pill organizers would help?
Patient: I had one, but it didn’t work. The pills didn’t fit into the holes.
Dr. Turbo: Oh-- your pills were too big?
Patient: No. The holes were too small.
----
Patient: They were giving me a nicotine patch before I got transferred here.
Dr. Turbo: Okay. Would you like to continue using the patch?
Patient: No. I heard that nicotine stuff is bad for you. I’m going to go back to smoking.
posted by Turbo at 1:26 PM
6 Comments:
This one goes to eleven! :)
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The patient in the first vignette was struggling toward some kind of logic there. After all, you can't practicably shrink the pills but you could surely buy an organizer with bigger compartments! It's a matter of unspoken semantics: you were thinking 'the pills are too big (for the holes)' and he was thinking 'the holes are too small (for my purposes).'
Somewhat related to this post, mostly out of the blue. I'm a third year med student, strongly considering psychiatry. Can you post something about how you chose the field and/or what you like and dislike about it? Thanks!
Radish...look at the recent "shrink rap" posts, they have done a few on the topic in the last month or so.
Wow. When this job finally drives you crazy at least you'll be in the right place.
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