Kal from Trauma Queen has a great post up over at Doc2Doc. Check it out. Tell him I sent ya!
I have a great deal of respect for doctors. But, emergency medicine is a whole different ball of wax. Hell, what WE do in the field is rarely “medicine”. Often I think of myself as an emergent pit crew member. Throw some tape, fill em up with fluids, and drive like hell. Sure, I believe in the medicine we CAN practice, but often what we do is a simple game of racing the clock to get our patients to a doctor who IS qualified to handle the situation. That does not mean ANY doctor, however. A GP, oncologist, or podiatrist is very unlikely to be the doctor of choice in a car vs pedestrian accident.
That being said, I believe that (most)physicians have earned my respect. No one gets my respect for free. I do not find it appropriate to be rude to them on scene though. Often informing them that if they feel the need to intervene they will be required to come along for the duration of the transport does the trick in getting them out of our hair.
Unfortunately, just like everything else in life… when you NEED a doc on scene, you can’t even get them to come to the phone!
Also on MedicThree …
- Stubborn – March 8, 2010
- Being an EMS Dad – January 12, 2010
- Clarity – April 17, 2010
- I am Sam: EMS 2.0 – October 31, 2009
