Doctor who kissed stage-4 cancer patient mid-pandemic slammed for boundary and safety breaches

A Montreal doctor who kissed an immunocompromised, stage-4 cancer patient three times in midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and sent texts that were “explicitly or implicitly of a sexual and personal nature” has been banned from practice for five years and ordered to pay $7,500 plus college costs. Dr. Philippe-Luc Michel, who withdrew in June 2021 from the physician registry of the Collège des médecins du Québec, admitted he breached the province’s physician code of ethics, specifically the section that prohibits doctors from having sexual relations with patients or making gestures or remarks of a sexual nature towards patients. Dr. Michel also pleaded guilty to contravening Quebec’s professional code by committing an act derogatory to the dignity of the profession, according to the decision document issued by the college’s disciplinary board. Read: Quebec doctor loses licence over bare-handed vaginal exams and other issues He told college investigators he had developed feelings for the patient, who had cancer recurrence and was undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy at the time she met him at a Montreal hospital, where he was working in palliative care. Dr. Michel said he thought the patient returned his feelings and, in addition to kissing and texting her, had also asked her out for drinks but this invitation never led to anything. Dr. Michel’s misconduct came to the college’s attention last year when it received an email from a psychologist concerned about a patient who disclosed that a doctor had made sexual advances towards her. The psychologist did not divulge the patient’s name initially but told the college the patient wanted to know how to file a complaint against the doctor. The college subsequently arranged a virtual meeting with the patient, who attended with her psychologist. Read: Quebec FP sanctioned for having an affair with a patient During this meeting, the patient explained that she had met Dr. Michel a few times between July 2019 and Jun 2020, and that he had kissed her three times during two medical appointments. The patient felt at the time there was a potential for a romantic relationship between she and Dr. Michel and had even considered the possibility of leaving her troubled marriage. But after receiving several graphic, sexual text messages from Dr. Michel, the patient grew disgusted and felt she was cheating on her husband. She decided to end her relationship with Dr. Michel. The patient subsequently told the college she believed she had been manipulated by Dr. Michel and did not want anyone else to go through the same experience. A college review of the patient’s medical files showed that, in addition to having cancer, the patient had also been depressed for several years—a problem Dr. Michel was aware of. According to the disciplinary document, the encounters with Dr. Michel drove the patient into further distress and she confided in a nurse at the oncology clinic where she had been a patient for seven years. The nurse told college investigators she encouraged the patient to lodge a complaint with the college. Read: Cardiologist charged with sexual assault in 2012 consultation

Doctor who kissed stage-4 cancer patient mid-pandemic slammed for boundary and safety breaches

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