The recent testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to the Senate Judiciary Committee reminded me of what every other patient
experiences in the emergency department. The other half of the population appeared like Brett Kavanaugh. Dr. Ford alleged that Mr. Kavanaugh was intoxicated and sexually assaulted her while they were in high school. She grew up to be a clinical psychologist, while he was named a Supreme Court Judge. The surprising fact that distinguished the two during the Senate hearing was that they were one in the same person.
Male and female, parent and child, aggressive and passive, good and evil, Jekyll and Hyde typically comprise the entire being of each individual patient who presents to the Emergency Department (ED).
The image of Dr. Ford speaking behind the microphone while being asked questions reminded me of what patients experience in the ED. There are many interrogators (medical staff) having 5-minute conversations with patients: "Tell me what happened." "Can you tell the story concisely in your own words?" "Do you have any collaborating witnesses?" These questions are often
intimidating and prejudicial as many doctors don’t believe patients. The answers to these questions evoke a patient's feelings of disbelief, shame and vulnerability.
Dr. Ford was hailed as the poster child for all victims of sexual assault, the proverbial
"cream of the crop." She sat in the clown court of acting senators/sinners viewing them with their pants down. By telling her own story, she exposed their fear and personal shame. She appeared professional, poised and purposeful in her testimony while they seemed small, narrow-minded and partisan.
Dr. Ford set three examples for all patients:
