Even though we all know that to err is human, few of us can easily accept our own mistakes. This is probably more the case in healthcare than in most other occupations, because errors can have such serious consequences.
In a survey of MPS members who had experienced untoward incidents in their practice, almost all of them found that it shook their confidence and eroded their job satisfaction. Complaints from patients tended to be taken as personal attacks, with the doctor feeling angry, hurt and betrayed. Some of these effects lasted for years.