The facts in this case are quite simple: a patient’s privacy was most egregiously violated when he was unconscious and under the care of health care professionals. It doesn’t matter why people get tattoos or piercings or whatever, nor does it matter how beautiful or hideous they are. If the patient chooses to share it, that’s his or her prerogative. However, a patient who is unconscious is incapable of providing consent, and this physician certainly knows this.

Health care professionals have an ethical obligation to protect the privacy of their patients. The more vulnerable the patient, the higher the obligation. A patient’s body is not to be treated as a source of entertainment for those who, in the course of their professional, are entrusted with viewing it. Shame on all of you who treat this as a joke. This man’s trust of so-called professionals was violated. I’m sure that the patient, the hospital, and the physician are all aware of exactly how unfunny a situation it is.

Perhaps this brilliant chief resident would understand the profound personal effects of this violation if he were forced to allow photographs of his naked body to be taken and distributed by the patient.

The other, more damaging, aspect of this violation is that this patient is now more likely to treat medical professionals with suspicion and delay medical treatment in the future due to this incident. This is a tangible health-related effect of this thoughtless, juvenile act.

In addition, the reputation of Mayo Clinic has been severely damaged: they trusted this resident to provide professional care. He demonstrated extremely poor judgment–which brings into question the hiring practices of Mayo Clinic because he was CHIEF RESIDENT, a position of high prestige. I wouldn’t hire this guy to be a candy striper, regardless of his ability as a physician. He’s shown he can’t be trusted.