Much ado about doing nothing.

Negative stereotypes about certain kinds of medical specialists are commonly expressed by physicians in the presence of medical students. The authors of this brief essay, an academic pathologist and an academic internist, suggest that these sorts of remarks may have a range of deleterious effects on students. We wish to sensitize medical school faculty to this problem. Moreover, we propose that in an era in which a team approach to patient care is often required, the promotion of positive doctor-doctor relationships is critical and should be an integral part of medical education.