Scheduled for the visit. Let’s say a patient comes in for a 10 minute follow up. The exam goes as expected, and then as the doctor is about to leave the room, the patient says I just had one more question. I think I might be pregnant? I thought about killing myself last night. I am worried about a lump on my breast. I’ve been abused/raped/etc.

I get it that most patients think doctors don’t care about your time, the truth is most patients don’t care about what another patient may be going through. If you knew that 10 minute visit that turned into 20 was a doctor breaking the news to a teen that she was pregnant, or a cancer diagnosis, or something else that sucks more than your high blood pressure pill refill you’d probably be ok to wait a few extra minutes.

Rant over