A GP admitted there’s one part of being a doctor that she hates, and it’s something that may surprise you.
Doctor Shireen is known for sharing health advice on TikTok, but she recently got candid about the reality of her job. She said there’s one part of her role that she finds particularly tough, and it just doesn’t get any easier.
If a patient comes to see her about something that she personally relates to, she admitted it can be very challenging.
Doctor Shireen explained: “So they might come and see me and be talking about something deeply personal, deeply painful and it’s like they’re telling me my story back to me, and all I want to do is say ‘me too’.
“Like, I get it, I’ve been through it and I want to bring my experience into the consultation to talk about it. I feel like, in some circumstances, that might be helpful but – as a GP – sometimes I think it would be quite inappropriate to do that.”
She said there are moments when she can relate to these sorts of issues “much deeper” than another doctor could due to the shared experience, and it’s never easy. It’s happened to her a couple of times so far, and she’s had to learn how to navigate her feelings.
The professional admitted it’s “hard”, as doctors are just like any other humans who have feelings and go through tough times. She said there have been occasions where she’s had to “hold back the tears”, as patients’ cases have touched her on such a personal level.
If Dr Shireen is going through a similar experience to a patient, it can be hard to detach these emotions, but she’s had to learn to with time. This is because, in every case, the patient always comes first.
Nonetheless, it’s still tough, and people can understand why. They were keen to comment on her video too.
One person said: “Not sure why you think it’d be inappropriate to share your own experiences. My GP told me she had hot flushes, and it made her seem so much more human and approachable, as well as validating my experience.”
Another wrote: “The only time I’ve felt listened to and helped was one of the therapists from talking therapies. Validated the way I felt by saying he’d experienced that too.”
A third replied: “For me that helps to relate. My GP shares and it’s a big plus. For me, a kind, empathetic human is so helpful. It’s uncomfortable to share with a cold, emotionless robot.”
Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “I’m a GP, and will often tell a patient if I relate to their problem. It is one of the most powerful ways of building rapport. You obviously can’t make the consultation about you though.”