"1-800:Please Admit"
Vincent J. Menna MD1
1 Doylestown, Pennsylvania
During my internship on medicine rotation I made daily rounds with an internist. One of his female patients had a different pain daily that radiated to all parts of her body. I was impressed at how patiently he listened to her symptoms and was amazed that he was taking notes. One day I looked over his shoulder to discover that while she was complaining, he was making a list of his inpatients.
That patient along with others who were in the hospital for a "rest" justifiably would have a great deal of difficulty being admitted in 1990. However, I feel that the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction from the days of the lady with total body pain.