I had a lousy week. This realization dogs me while I go about my duties like any ordinary adult, making decisions and acting responsibly. In my profession, making decisions means making occasional mistakes. While this is a reality, it is difficult for me to accept. The errors come with the territory.
All doctors are fearful of errors because so much rides on our judgment.
While we may regard ourselves as slightly superhuman, we are tough on ourselves at the same time. Not as tough as the public is on us, mind you, but pretty tough nevertheless. Therefore, when we miscalculate, we're afraid not only of public humiliation but of the small, insistent voices of insecurity within us. It started off with a young man with a bellyache. He didn't complain of fever or other symptoms, and I couldn't identify the cause of his problem.