My 10 year old daughter and her 9 year old cousin told me they were playing doctor.
To tell you the truth, I had no idea what they were playing. Could have been investment banker, lawyer, or professor.
When I walked in the room, my daughter was on a laptop. And my niece was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room.
I gulped.
Is this what children think that medicine is? That there is no "laying of the hands"?
That the computer is replacing the stethoscope as the identifying instrument?
I am a champion of technology and medicine. I love it. That is certainly not the issue here.
What I am worried about is children learning to love medicine for what it is: connecting with people.
It is about listening, looking, and asking one more question. It is about trust, and bonding, and empathy.
It is not about clicking a box on a laptop to get to the next screen.
