I’m Your Doctor, Not Your Friend

When physicians are off-duty, they are regular people in the community with friends outside of work. These friendships can become complicated during visits to the doctor, especially in a rural community. One physician’s talk with a patient made a lasting impression about the boundaries of the physician-patient relationship, and it is one of my favorite lessons from Hinton that helped me to connect more strongly with my patients.

Community Involvement

One of the selling features of rural medicine is having a sense of community with the town. Since I was already going to live in town for nine months, why not get to know the people here? I was thrilled to find a welcoming community inside and outside of work.