Lying displaces trust
What if your doctor lied to you? “I can fix your spinal cord so you can walk again,” or “This drug will keep you from getting wrinkles and gray hair!”
As a physician, I am in a profession of trust. Tell lies, and you displace trust of those who rely on you.
Doctors are constantly under the gun, as at some point, their skills and judgment come to fruition if the problem they correct changes the patient’s long-term quality of life. The most challenging specialty is trauma surgery, with snap decisions made to save a person’s life. It’s not an easy task, but you can’t lie.
Despite protections from State Boards and personal interactions found on Yelp or Google, obtaining reliable character information on doctors can be challenging. This underscores the critical need for trust in the medical profession, with the best source often being word of mouth from other doctors or nurses.
Ultimately, the public should not be subject to someone who might lie or deceive, especially for personal gain. Still, sometimes we must rely on instincts to decide whether one speaks the truth.
It is worth mentioning because one presidential candidate has an extreme tendency to lie.
Some will say, “Everyone lies.” I don’t feel that is an excuse for an immoral act. Even as a doctor, I have not had to lie even to quell the worries or fears of illness.
Why should a patient fear that a doctor is not telling the truth? Even more so, why should we as a nation ever have to fear that the President is telling a lie?
Our trust in the medical profession and in public figures is not just important, it’s essential. It allows us to believe in the care we receive and the decisions made on our behalf.
Gene Dorio, M.D.
Initially published in The Signal, LTE, local newspaper October 16, 2024
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