Monday, April 18, 2011

poker-faced doctors?

is medicine like playing poker?

well, yes & no.

it's NOT like poker because you don't gamble with your patients' lives.

and yet, everyday you face problems that require both your own rational judgment & dependence on  a bit of luck  divine interevention. like sometimes, you have to decide if the problem is too big to handle & that the patient is better managed at another institution. in poker-speak, would you raise the stakes & take a chance that you have a better hand, or fold up & cut your losses?

proceed to treatment or refer to another hospital?

in my honest opinion, i think doctors make bad poker players.

10 comments:

Unicorn Girl said...

SO - just stay put at practising medicine - okie ? Forget about poker games :) !

doc said...

UG,

ha ha, all very true!

missyc said...

poker faced doctors... hmmm seen some @ one "beach" hosp :[ I was in a "strip poker" & sometimes wished it was russian roulette.. well that's all in the past :p

doc said...

MissyC,

looks like the past has come back to haunt you.

all is well now, right?

wenn said...

well, most doctors r great!

doc said...

Wenn,

you are much too kind!

Yvonne Foong said...

In America, poker face is a matter of getting sued or not.

doc said...

Yvonne,

doctors should just fold up when they hold lousy cards.

Yvonne Foong said...

and save taxpayers' money of public prosecutions.

doc said...

Yvonne,

unfortunately, there's this ego thing to contend with.