I’m struck by how many hospitals have gone from treating physicians as professional colleagues to treating them with outright disdain. Emergencies happen and surgeries get bumped. Everyone understands that. What is harder to understand is the complete absence of basic professional courtesy. A simple notification, an apology, or an acknowledgment that you’re asking someone to rearrange their entire day goes a long way. Instead, physicians are often expected to simply wait. Many surgeons receive no additional compensation for doing emergency procedures on weekends. They leave their families, assume significant medicolegal risk, and make themselves available because patients need them. The least a hospital can do is communicate honestly, provide updates, and acknowledge the burden. Professional respect should not be too much to ask.