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While I’m typically pretty good at not reacting to any outrageous thing a patient says–you have to be, as a medical student, and you generally learn by not reacting to stupid things residents and attendings say–I did have a moment of indiscretion with a patient which, I think, says something about our society.  The conversation went something like this:

Patient:  Do you know if my condition can get me on disability?
Me:  I’m not entirely sure; what do you do for a living?
Patient:  I’m retired.
Me:  If you’re retired, what do you need disability for?

Strangely, that didn’t go over nearly as badly as I’d feared.  The notion of someone on retirement seeking disability (and particularly taxpayer-funded disability), however, still makes me a bit annoyed.