On Being a Patient

When doctors become patients, their hearts run the entire gamut of emotions- from acute denial to acceptance and everything in between. Although they enjoy a privileged status, and receive apt attention from their professional colleagues, they realize that making personal decisions about their own health is not easy- particularly during an emergency. What should a patient expect from a doctor? How should a doctor anticipate what kind of patient he is dealing with? How should we blend evidence with patient preferences, choices, and priorities? How should a doctor assuage unvoiced concerns of visitors? In this essay, the author describes his own experience of acute coronary syndrome that led to an angioplasty and wonders how difficult it is to choose wisely, even for doctors.