The ideal, he said, is to be able to treat all patients alike. But that's not always possible when you are dealing with friends, colleagues or family members. Avoid potential problems, he said. Be reluctant to discuss matters of a sexual nature with a colleague or friend. Be aware that you might not know as much about a friend or colleague as you think you do.
Confidentiality is another challenge when treating friends.
Among the options he cited in treating friends was to do it in a limited way, referring them where possible to other physicians when the nature of the problem may be more sensitive. At the personal level, he pointed out, physicians have to make time for themselves and their families. There are frequent interruptions and intrusions into family time, especially in rural areas. There are long nights on call. Your spouse can come to feel like a single parent.