I'm a little annoyed with one of the front desk guys at my new clinic.

[Aristus]

He was briefing one of my colleagues on a patient who had come in for evaluation. I didn't hear the beginning of the briefing, having just come in from finishing up with a patient of my own. But the receptionist told my colleague "Be prepared. It smells pretty bad in there."

I thought maybe the patient was coming in for a wound evaluation or dressing change.

My colleague asked me to switch with her because the patient stated he felt more comfortable with a male provider. I went into the exam room, and it turned out he was a homeless person. I barely noticed any smell at all. I know I'm more used to visiting with homeless people than the staff at my new clinic. But I was really offended that the receptionist made a big deal out of how my patient smelled. He's a human being! He didn't deserve that!

I realize that not everyone views the homeless the way I do, or loves them the way I have grown to. But the receptionist is a medical professional. He should have been more compassionate.

[elleng]

1. Definitely should have been more compassionate.

Needs lessons.

[CurtEastPoint]

2. Was in a doc waiting room not long ago and the 2 recepts were dissing a patient in quiet tones....

but I still heard every word and when I got called to go back, I went up to them and told them in a nice way that they CANNOT discuss patients out in the open like that.

[ShazzieB]

5. Good work!

I hope they had the decency to be at least a little embarrassed.

[Deuxcents]

3. Good grief 😤 One place you'd expect some compassion and people gotta be mean spirited

Maybe a few shifts in the inner city and get some reality checks

[Demovictory9]

4. Thx for your compassion

[Warpy]

6. Maybe a quiet word is in order

Mention how the sound of voices can carry even when we think we're talking quietly.

Otherwise, you'll have to worry about what Receptionist Dainty Nose is going to say when the first active GI bleeder comes in.

[womanofthehills]

7. It was uncool of staff to say that

But different people have big differences in smell, When I had Environmental Illness my sense of smell was intense.

Now I have a friend who is always complaining about smells, when I smell nothing.