LETTER
Blueberry Muffins and Mystery Novels
William Burns
15 December 1994 | Volume 121 Issue 12 | Pages 986-987
TO THE EDITOR:
I am saddened and embarrassed to have read Dr. Linzer's essay "Blueberry Muffins and Mystery Novels" [1]. The type of experience described and the relationship established with the patient is something that those of us who practice medicine 12 months of every year share on a daily basis. Relating to our patients in a personal manner without "detached concern that is supposed to define our relationships with patients" is something that we should do most of the time. It should not be something so unusual as to be considered "crossing over the line".
How unfortunate for the medical student who told Dr. Linzer that "this was one of the most powerful experiences he had had in medical school," when it should be a fairly common one. For many thousands of physicians it is, was, and always will be part of being a doctor.
1. Linzer M. Blueberry muffins and mystery novels. Ann Intern Med. 1994; 121:56-7.
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