What is Empathy, Really? Empathy is the ability to understand and share someone else’s struggles. As doctors, we are expected to embody it every day. But there’s a fine line between genuine empathy—helping those who truly need it—and entitled expectations, where people assume a doctor’s time and effort come without limits. Here are two patient stories that highlight this contrast The First: A child with growth hormone deficiency, whose parents are daily wage laborers. Growth hormone treatment can be life-changing, yet it remains out of reach for many due to cost. As an endocrinologist, I cannot accept that a child’s potential should be limited because of finances. Somehow, I have managed to fund this treatment—because that’s what we do when we see injustice in healthcare. The Second: An elderly woman with uncontrolled diabetes, whose son is a high-earning software engineer. He is too “busy” to attend appointments but expects me to provide WhatsApp updates after every visit. His mother navigates her health alone, while he demands concierge medicine from afar. One child’s life-saving treatment was nearly denied because of money. Another patient’s care is an afterthought despite financial privilege. This is where empathy for doctors is often misplaced. When we fight for the underprivileged, we do so out of conviction, not obligation. But when people with resources expect us to compensate for their absence, to shoulder responsibilities they should bear—it is not empathy, it is entitlement. As doctors, we will always give our best to our patients. But empathy should not be a one-way street. Respecting a doctor’s time and effort is just as important as expecting their compassion.