The response to the incident below was written by Michael Cahalane, HMS assistant professor of surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Incident: During surgical rotation, a group of students on rounds visited a patient who was from Thailand. Her English was broken, but she clearly could understand most of what was said. The resident walked into the room and announced, “OK, here we have Mrs. Thai Lady.”

Response: This case is so valuable to discuss because it is an example of lack of respect for a patient. One of the principles of humanism is that we all owe each other respect. This case is particularly painful to contemplate because it involves a person who is perceived as not fully fluent in English and is easily stereotyped into an ethnic class. The comment also betrays a certain lack of appreciation of her humanity, reducing her to “Thai Lady.” She is a patient, and although this kind of comment would be abhorrent if it were used referring to a colleague, it is even more so because patients are our very raison d’être.

Perhaps the resident thought that this was a humorous introduction to the patient as he grandstanded on rounds, seeking peer approval. Yet the comment is alienating for the patient and, therefore, has no place in a therapeutic relationship. I hope that the resident may come to recognize that reducing a person’s status in no way endears him to members of this caring community.

The resident, however, is likely not a bad person. He is in need of education as are all of us. It is the purpose of this column to help highlight ways in which we can educate ourselves to improve the way we deal with each other.

How would we correct this incident? Part of the correction is the understanding that the behavior is aberrant. We can simply come away with knowledge of how not to greet a patient. To take it a step further, another member of the team might greet the patient warmly using her name. Setting a good example of desired behavior is a very powerful way of teaching. It may be difficult for a student to offer a comment to a supervising resident, however. I have no single answer to this dilemma. Difference in power is an additional factor adding to the seriousness of this matter.

All of us must remember that at HMS we are always educating colleagues, residents, and students and that we are never “off” while working. We need to be good role models in the course of providing excellent medical care. We also must be self-critical in evaluating our conduct in light of our professional and educational roles. Each of us needs to analyze our own intentions, prejudices, and behavior and continually ask whether they are consistent with our obligation to serve our patients and students.