Lies students tell
CMAJ 1997;156:1266
See response by: T.A. Young
I read Young's excellent paper "Teaching medical students to lie" (CMAJ 1997;156:219-22 [full text / en bref]), for which she won a deserved prize. I fear, however, that she has missed the point in her criticism of honesty. The ability to deceive and lie is really part of the assessment process for young residents so that the assessors may determine who will be capable of facing the real world when they enter independent practice.
Physicians must now be able to deal with bureaucrats, the media, provincial health authorities and, of course, politicians, all of whom are skilled in being economical with the truth. She will find in the world that our own colleagues are not immune to this practice, nor are some of our patients.
In medicine the whole process begins when the aspiring medical student is asked that famous question -- "Why do you want to be a doctor?" -- and obviously it continues once this hurdle has been successfully managed.
Young's comments are admirable and altruistic, but out in the real world there is a jungle.
Martin Austin, MD
Calgary, Alta.
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