President Clinton had several health concerns while president.
Taking care of “special” patients is difficult. As physicians we all have experiences where we feel the need to do an extra special job in caring for a patient. It may be a friend, a relative, a fellow physician, an employee, or just a patient we with whom we have developed a longstanding relationship. I feel like I provide really good care to all of my patients, and sometimes by trying harder, getting out of my usual routines, it puts me at risk of making mistakes by trying to do more. I think it’s like the hitter up in the clutch, who wants to get a hit so badly that they strike out. Sometimes we find it hard to keep our objectivity and emotions in check. Still, this is nothing compared to what it must be like to be the primary physician for the president of the United States. Think about the pressure to give the president what they want, and yet give good medical advice. What do you do about patient non-compliance? Does the president have to sign a “Leaving the hospital Against Medical Advice” form to save the free world when you think they need to stay in the hospital? You’ll like this article from the NY Times.
WASHINGTON — No patient gets closer medical attention than the president of the United States. Wherever he goes, a doctor, nurse or paramedic trails a few footsteps behind, ready for any medical need. It is the ultimate in concierge medicine.
For the president’s doctor, it is a little different. The job of White House physician combines professional responsibility with the glamour and trappings of proximity to history. The White House medical office is only a few steps from the Oval Office, and the doctor has automatic access to the president’s living quarters.
A medical staff member stays overnight in the White House. When the president travels, the doctor rides in a limousine near the head of the motorcade. Jet lag and stress make the job one of near-constant fatigue, shadowed by dread of assassination attempts. Read more
