We are not providers, we are physicians. If our identity is lost, we too, will lose the trust of our patients for our profession will meld into an indistinguishable position vis a vis other health care professionals. Full disclosure of the facts regarding medical management should be discussed with each patient we encounter. This should include financial concerns imposed on the physician by cost-containment protocols. Early and frank disclosure with the intent on educating your patients and their families will help retain the community's confidence in physicians as a whole.
Physicians entrust and rely on their colleagues on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, this process begins in pre-med and medical school with the struggle for grades and brownie points and translates into a way of life often pitting one physician against the other. We must stand up and oppose these tactics in order to avoid becoming pawns in the game of financial power. Finally, the good image of physicians can be preserved by mentoring younger physicians. Residents in-training form a large pool of young minds whose practice styles can be molded and shaped by older physicians. The training that medical students and residents do not receive should be supplemented by community physicians who continually strive to set a good example for the younger physicians in the community.