amanda started her ob/gyn rotation today; actually, today was merely orientation, she starts at sisters hospital tomorrow. her morning session basically consisted of the lecturers talking about how not to get sued. of course, getting sued is a mega problem in ob, so perhaps this kind of emphasis is not misplaced.
one docter had a person walk in (who he was going to give a second opinion on something) who directly asked “how much is your malpractice?” and got sued anyway for telling him to leave (for “abandonment”). the suing lawyer fortunately dropped the case when he/she realized the true situation.
of course, frivolous lawsuits abound in many areas. this posting is not meant as a commentary on malpractice lawsuits in general as the entire medical system in the united states is a complex beast. i did think it was funny/sad that the med school thought it prudent to talk so much about it before ob/gyn, tho.