Pro___?

Once every other week, we have a class that focuses on topics that physicians must be aware of, mainly dealing with ethical dilemmas that physicians face. Med students call this class "how to be a good doctor" and some don't really think much of it, but it's a nice break from all the studying.
Today's topic involved abortion. Not really whether or not we were prolife or prochoice, but whether or not doctors have a duty to treat everyone, even if goes against the doctor's views. For example, do we believe that OB/GYNs have a responsibility as physicians to perform abortions, or does his or her conscience and beliefs overrule this obligation to the patient.

Although my beliefs aren't as strong and solidified as I would want them to be, I know I would not be comfortable with performing abortions. I do believe that a life starts at conception, and even though a woman has rights to her body, the fetus also has rights as well. BUT this does not mean that I condone abortion, nor do i think that legislation should be passed that prohibits abortion. It's like saying, "Oh since lying is a sin, then it should be illegal to lie" or "It's a sin to be gay, so laws should be passed that limits the rights of gays"....oh wait I guess some ridiculous people say that...Anyways, I think that if (for some crazy reason) I went into OB/GYN and was asked by a patient to perform an abortion, the right decision would be to refer her to a colleague that is comfortable with it. If I wouldn't be comfortable performing an abortion, I think that it would also affect my performance of the procedure, which isn't fair to the patient. 

The other topic that arose from this discussion was the decision of some physicians to terminate relations with a patient if there is a lack of compliance. For example, there are pulmonologists who refuse to see certain patients if, after a number of sessions and talks, the patient refuses to quit smoking. Or, in another example, a physician stops treating an obese patient if that patient makes no effort to lose weight. Although I can't say for sure what my decision would be, I think I sort of agree with this train of thought. The physician-patient relationship is a two way street, and I don't think it's right for patients to abuse medications if they are not willing to change their lifestyles and habits. It's truly a waste of energy and money on the healthcare system (I'll probably talk about fitness and dieting in a future post). I don't think I would discontinue relationships with a patient as a punishment or as an act that abuses power, but if I felt that the connection/chemistry was not there, and if that patient would benefit from the counseling of another competent physician, I think referring that patient is the right thing to do. Of course I would do my best to steer that patient in the right direction, but one can only do so much.