“Please don’t confuse your Google search with my medical degree.”

We’ve all seen the mug and probably had a little chuckle. Maybe it has even recalled to mind a particular patient or encounter.

Other than thinking of it as a snarky joke (no shade on those of you who have one, truly), I have not given it much thought until a recent patient encounter.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing a longstanding patient of mine who was unfortunately diagnosed with terminal breast cancer in her mid-30s.