TY - JOUR T1 - Viewpoint: Establishing rapport: the GP without a smile JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 480 LP - 480 DO - 10.3399/bjgp18X699149 VL - 68 IS - 675 AU - Fiona Elisabeth Price-Kuehne Y1 - 2018/10/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/68/675/480.abstract N2 - The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health gives a seemingly simple piece of advice: ‘Doctors should treat children with a big smile.’ 1After all, a smile is a cornerstone of good non-verbal communication and it is arguably the most important tool we have for establishing rapport with a patient. However, if a smile really is so important for a doctor–patient interaction, where does this leave the GP who cannot smile? I found this out the hard way.Last summer, I woke up one morning with excruciating ear pain and looked in the mirror to be confronted by a face that I barely recognised. My left cheek hung heavy and motionless, dragging the corner of my mouth down with it. My … ER -