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Feet of Clay: The Impaired Dermatologist

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Dermatoethics

Abstract

Dr. L is a senior partner in a large practice associated with an academic center and a professor of dermatology at the local medical school. Though not currently chair of the department, he has served in that role in the past. At a recent Christmas celebration for the department, he was observed to drink heavily throughout the evening. As the evening wore on, he became louder, more belligerent and began to slur his words. He was somewhat incoherent when he tried to provide a toast to the assembled group. Later, he drove himself home in his car. No one at the event confronted him or attempted to keep him from getting into his car at the end of the evening. A few days later, one of his partners tried to broach the evening’s events with Dr. L, saying that he was concerned about him. Dr. L became angry and defensive. He could not remember all the details of his behavior at the dinner, but was aware that he had “probably had a little too much” and “may have said some inopportune things.” He insisted he had just “had a good time like everyone else.” Nevertheless, he reluctantly agreed to apologize to some of his colleagues. When approached by Dr. L, they each quickly “let him off the hook,” laughing with him and dismissing his behavior as just “blowing off some steam.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Brandon H. Krupp

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  1. Brandon H. Krupp
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Correspondence to Brandon H. Krupp .

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  1. Brown University, Providence, 02912, Rhode Island, USA

    Lionel Bercovitch

  2. Brown University, Providence, 02912, Rhode Island, USA

    Clifford Perlis

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Krupp, B.H. (2012). Feet of Clay: The Impaired Dermatologist. In: Bercovitch, L., Perlis, C. (eds) Dermatoethics. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2191-6_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2191-6_17

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