Cuando los médicos nos volvemos pacientes. A propósito del filme El Doctor (1991)

Abstract

The film portrays the life of a gloomy and egocentric heart surgeon concerned more about illnesses than to the ill ones, who one day must experience the dreadful effects of such attitude in person. An untimely hemoptysis will lead to the diagnosis of a malignant tumor of the larynx to be treated by radiotherapy. That denial quite common among patients here borders on the unbelievable since a medical teacher cannot constitute a target for intervention. Amid long waits, administrative masses, and the unkindness of the doctor-patient relationship, he meets June, undergoing treatment for a brain tumor with whom he will establish a kind of coalition in the face of such a threatening journey. From his experience as a patient, his behavior with patients will gradually incorporate a timely amount of empathy towards those who are incidentally discouraged by some ailment. June does not survive the tumor, but he manages to overcome it after surgical removal, now appearing quite committed to redirecting his professional and family life, upon such painful learning.
The story continues to be worth telling. We all know about the troubles experienced by many patients on their way to recovering from their lost health.