The Thin Recommendation Line
When I was a middle school teacher, I was constantly reprimanding my students who poked fun at other students for being a “teacher’s pet.” In each class I taught, there was always that one student who spent a lot of time at my desk, often asking relevant questions, and occasionally offering a compliment. As I have transformed from teacher to student, I wonder if I have modeled the ways of former pupils? I have made it customary to thank my attending physicians upon completion of each rotation. In some way from their instruction, I have gained a bit of information that previously eluded me. There are those rare moments when an attending physician has made such an impression, that a student changes his or her mind and decides to take another direction in medicine.
Establishing a professional rapport with an attending physician is a crucial element of clinical rotations. Some of these physicians may serve as letter writers for residency programs in the future. Does it constitute as ‘kissing up’ if a student truly valued their attending physician’s commitment and dedication to medicine? Upon completion of rotations, students often express gratitude by presenting attending physicians with a token of appreciation. While this always raises the question whether or not this is a genuine gesture, thanking an attending physician forces students to walk a thin line.
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