The Poor Historian - poem

Journal of Family Practice, Feb, 2001 by Robert L. Jr Blake

   I was sitting in the conference room
   hoping to be helpful.
   In came a resident
   to present a patient.
   A forty year old female was
   Campaining
   of headaches.
   She was a poor historian. She
   Complained
   of feeling tired and having no energy. She
   Denied
   trouble with her vision. She
   Denied
   smoking, but
   Admitted
   to drinking a few beers each day. She
   Complained
   that her husband did not pay attention to her. She
   Admitted
   having conflict with her daughter.
   The resident seemed pleased with his history;
   He had addressed psychosocial issues,
   with a poor historian, no less.
   I asked him.
   When you go to a doctor for help,
   do you complain?
   Do you deny?
   Do you admit?
   He looked at me,
   a little perplexed,
   then a little perturbed.
   We went to see the poor historian.

All correspondence should be addressed to Robert L. Blake, Jr, MD, University of Missouri, School of Medicine, Family and Community Medicine, M228 Medical Sciences Building, DC032.00, Columbia, MO 65212.