Do surgeons like their patients?
We found that surgeons do not like their patients equally. Their feelings are associated with surgeon and patient characteristics, and with patient satisfaction. Our findings have important implications for surgeons seeking to improve care striving to enhance or maintain their own career satisfaction. Do surgeons have favorite patients? Of the 25 physicians interviewed, 22 respondents reported having favorite patients, with some characterizing them as a type of patient they regularly encounter in their practice and others as several standout patients they had treated over the course of their career.