Shining a Light on the Dark Side
Authors: Jordan Cohen, Richard I. Levin
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2016)

Letters5 January 2016Shining a Light on the Dark SideJordan Cohen, MD and Richard I. Levin, MDJordan Cohen, MDFrom The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, Englewood, New Jersey.Search for more papers by this author and Richard I. Levin, MDFrom The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, Englewood, New Jersey.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L16-0014 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We applaud the editors of Annals for publishing the anonymous essay (1) and Laine and colleagues' accompanying editorial (2). No one likes to expose the dark side of their field, but as professionals, we have a solemn responsibility to acknowledge the darkness within medicine just as we celebrate its humanity.Organized medicine has shown a high tolerance for the kinds of appalling behavior that were the subject of the essay. Unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents. Last month, when The Washington Post reported on the essay, it hit a responsive chord (3). The story garnered more than ...References1. Anonymous. Our family secrets. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163:321. [PMID: 26280420]. doi:10.7326/M14-2168 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Laine C, Taichman DB, LaCombe MA. On being a doctor: shining a light on the dark side [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163:320. [PMID: 26280419]. doi:10.7326/M15-1144 LinkGoogle Scholar3. Cha AE. In graphic detail, medical journal describes 'heavy overtones' of sexual assault in operating room. The Washington Post. 18 August 2015. Accessed at www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/08/18/anonymous-medical-journal-essay-heavy-overtones-of-sexual-assault-in-operating-rooms on 25 November 2015. Google Scholar4. Liao JM, Thomas EJ, Bell SK. Speaking up about the dangers of the hidden curriculum. Health Aff (Millwood). 2014;33:168-71. [PMID: 24395948] doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2013.1073 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Yurkiewicz I. Medical disrespect. Aeon. 29 January 2014. Accessed at https://aeon.co/essays/bullying-junior-medical-staff-is-one-way-to-harm-patients on 25 November 2015. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, Englewood, New Jersey.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOf InterestForms.do?msNum=L15-0519. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoOn Being a Doctor: Shining a Light on the Dark Side Christine Laine , Darren B. Taichman , and Michael A. LaCombe Shining a Light on the Dark Side Elizabeth Allemann Shining a Light on the Dark Side Christine Laine , Darren B. Taichman , and Michael A. LaCombe Shining a Light on the Dark Side Alvaro F. Vargas Pelaez Shining a Light on the Dark Side Gaetan Sgro , Mark T. Gladwin , Alexander Teng , Akshata Moghe , and Shanta M. Zimmer Shining a Light on the Dark Side Shafik Dharamsi Shining a Light on the Dark Side Linda Ray Metrics 5 January 2016Volume 164, Issue 1Page: 69-70KeywordsAcademic medicineBehaviorCommunication in health careConflicts of interestDisclosureFearHealth carePatient advocacySafety ePublished: 5 January 2016 Issue Published: 5 January 2016 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2016 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...