You see this in rural America sometimes. It's a different relationship, because in a small town people will see their doctors in their day-to-day life. Out grocery shopping, playing tennis, in town with their family. And while professionalism is still important rural people tend to not respond well to professional detachment. It's a different sort of relationship. It has it's plus sides, but of course some drawbacks too. There are still boundaries I would keep in this type of friendship that I may not in another. ie. I would never share topics of a sexual, relationship, or substance use nature (not that I have really intense shocking information on any of those anyway) with a friend in this situation