Thursday, August 6, 2015

Discussing Livers and Hearts Over Lunch

So much of what one says in a private tête-à-tête is dissimilar from what one would otherwise say.

The recent videos of officials from Planned Parenthood discussing the distribution of fetal parts, between bites of salad during a private lunch,  is not a reason to critique the issue or to defund a program.  One may understandably be opposed to late-term abortions or the use of fetal tissue in research efforts to advance medical science, but such a conclusion should not be based on private "intra-professional" conversations.

Physicians often discuss patient-related issues or disease-related issues over coffee or lunch.  Yes, we take bites of hamburgers while discussing illnesses, and may even chuckle or laugh during the conversation as we talk about an unusual situation that may have come up - not always using "appropriate language."  Operating rooms and diagnostic labs are filled with, what some might term,  rather irreverent banter.  It is the nature of our "business."  It is in the nature of any "business" to speak "informally" when "businesss" matters are tossed around among close colleagues.

Saucy collegial conversations regarding medical issues are very common.  One should not use such surreptitiously recorded conversations as a tool to promote or condemn a point of view.




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