I have a patient who is a bigot. And he likes me. [View all]

Tough dilemma for a medical provider. He really likes me and my clinical style of practice. And he told me during his second appointment that he has already recommended four of his family members to establish care with me.

He is not overt in bigoted speech. But he sounds like he might be racist. And I get homophobic vibes from him.

I’m not empowered to fire patients. So I guess I’ll have to grin and bear it. If he’s racist, he may not last long. My supervising physician is Indian-American, the clinic manager is bi-racial, and the medical assisting staff is almost exclusively Hispanic and African-American.

I always imagine right-wing types hating me on sight. Weird.