[The sick physician. A patient like every other?]

The sick physician is a patient like any other. However, thanks to his particular training and experience, he generally knows more about the difficulties involved in diagnosing and treating an illness, and about its complications and course. He has a right not only to receive intelligently founded information, but also to compassion on the part of the colleague treating him, in particular when this is a specialist. Out of concern for his aura of medical perfection, he is often more social than other patients. On account of his insider knowledge, especially when confronted with organizational deficiencies, he tends to be a more difficult patient, who is also more likely to develop complications. On the other hand, he may have had a patient with the same illness, who may serve him as a model. When he has recovered from his illness, he is more critical towards himself and his medical skills. His empathy with the pain and fears of others increases, and his behavior towards his surroundings, in particular his family and patients, may change markedly. The setting up of special advisory centers for sick physicians, as is the case in London, is to be recommended.