Experiences with Doctors

[jamesbiz]

I'm not a doctor hater, so obviously not everyone on here is one, nor would I say that EVERYONE is one. Experiences are relative. I already mentioned how someones bad experience can be someones good experience. Positive experiences don't stay positive either. Take the example of buying something you really love. You bought it, and are super happy. How long does that happiness last? Same thing with doctors. The only way to get continuously above normal care, with the way most human minds perceive these things, would be to receive exponentially better and better care. Above normal soon turns into normal, not because the situation changed, but because your perception of the situation changes. It's unreasonable to expect above normal from doctors, all the time. They have real lives too. They have bad days and good. They have sad days and happy days. We are talking about humans here! Absolutes and humans should never be part of the same equation.

Oh and, if you obviously came on here with a negative view, and actually said that negative view of docotors was clearly coroborated, so why was it wrong for me to read into what you said as you seeking out more proof of your already strong beliefs?

I can't assume that it wouldn't be your thing, but I frequent V8 muscle car forums full of un loving meat eating conservatives, so I'd have a hard time seeing you wanting to wad through all that .

[SomeRandomGuy]

Originally Posted by jamesbiz

I can't assume that it wouldn't be your thing, but I frequent V8 muscle car forums full of un loving meat eating conservatives, so I'd have a hard time seeing you wanting to wad through all that .

Yeah, you're probably right. I like classic cars, but don't know enough about them to make much sense out of discussions between real enthuists. I am a meat eater though, but not a conservative.

[lifetimelearner]

oh look they have cars in common
imagine that

[jamesbiz]

Originally Posted by SomeRandomGuy

Yeah, you're probably right. I like classic cars, but don't know enough about them to make much sense out of discussions between real enthuists. I am a meat eater though, but not a conservative.

The only difference between a meat eater and a vegan, is that most meat eaters eat everything. I don't get why we can't be called " everything eaters" or more scientifically " omnivores", but that's beside the point. I'm not a conservative either, and by that I mean, I don't have their beliefs, nor do I have liberal beliefs. I'm right smack dab in the middle. I some times stagger to one side or the other, but I eventually always return to the middle. I don't believe in bi parasitism, as that clouds peoples judgments and causes them to follow only one path. That leads to blind faith. There are many things that I don't agree with on here... MANY. And there are many things I don't agree with on there as well. Everyone has something new to contribute to my overall growth as a human being. No one knows the true side of anything and the only way to get as close to the truth as possible is to hear every side.

[aggie]

ahhh, and besides...does anyone profess to know what all conservatives believe or what all liberals believe? there's the rub!

i think it is just PC to call you meat eaters, meat eaters....it so much a part of who we are if we do not eat meat...we do not want people thinking that we eat everything and want to make sure everyone knows that all of you eat everything AND meat

[jamesbiz]

Originally Posted by aggie

ahhh, and besides...does anyone profess to know what all conservatives believe or what all liberals believe? there's the rub!

Yes, people profess to know that. Many people profess to know many things


PS, nice post count .

[sepiagal]

Originally Posted by ssandra

One of the most important things of feeling good in a job is to feel appriciated and feel like you make a difference.

Am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy here?

"I experience job satisfaction when patients comply with my advice and suggestions."

This is a common thing people say to themselves but about their person life.

If only I had a BF or husband I wouldn't be so unhappy.

If only I had a better body I wouldn't feel so lonely.

That kind of thinking is about self esteem issues. And the self in self esteem means the person doesn't believe in themselves enough to feel good about their life.

If a health care worker needs validation from a compliant patient then they have some personal issues.

Patients have no control over any health care workers' feelings about job satisfaction or anything else.
Thinking something outside of yourself will change your appreciation or satisfaction about life or your job is thinking you have no control over your well being and or happiness.

And this kind of thinking is coming from someone who is also saying patients don't take enough responsibility about their health.

Isn't taking responsibility for your job satisfaction up the individual worker?

I decide how much responsibility I will or will not take regarding my health and no one else has any say in that decision.

This discussion about patient compliance is implying that a patient forfeit control over their health decisions when they go to a doctor. The doctor is deciding what treatments, lifestyle changes, type of care, etc I accept or don't accept. That's absurd. I have every right to not lose weight if I don't want to and I don't have to explain or justify myself to anyone. Its my decision how much responsibility I will take for my health.

If health care workers want to believe that patient behavior influences their job satisfaction that is their dysfunctional choice. But that doesn't mean they can expect patients to also buy into that irrational thinking too.

And how is this reslly about concern for the patient? Its not. Anytime someone seems almost militant in expressing concern for another person's well being it is usually based on some distorted, irrational belief.

Patient compliance seems to make some health care workers feel validated; that's the real motivation behind this overbearing concern for patient well being.

[jamesbiz]

If it's your responsibility then why are you asking the government for help and free/cheap health care? Do what the doctors did, and go to school, and learn, and you can treat your self, for FREE .

[SomeRandomGuy]

Originally Posted by jamesbiz

If it's your responsibility then why are you asking the government for help and free/cheap health care? Do what the doctors did, and go to school, and learn, and you can treat your self, for FREE .

Maybe I'm missing something, but who in this discussion asked for the government to provide them with free/cheap health care?

[ssandra]

au, you are mean!

that´s ok, i´ll survive...

Originally Posted by sepiagal

Am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy here?

Why do people keep saying i´m being a hypocrite when I am saying things that make perfect sence to me..? I´ll have to look into that some day.

But for now:

"I experience job satisfaction when patients comply with my advice and suggestions."
This is a common thing people say to themselves but about their person life.
If only I had a BF or husband I wouldn't be so unhappy.
If only I had a better body I wouldn't feel so lonely.
That kind of thinking is about self esteem issues. And the self in self esteem means the person doesn't believe in themselves enough to feel good about their life.

If a health care worker needs validation from a compliant patient then they have some personal issues.

There is a very big difference between making other people resonsable for your happiness or experiencing job satisfaction, by means of what your clients or people you work with are doing.

HC workers work with people. They try to improve their lives. If they see no improvement, if people ignore their wishes all the time, yet keep on complaining about the care they receive... of course that is logical!

And this kind of thinking is coming from someone who is also saying patients don't take enough responsibility about their health.

I think you are confusing me with somebody else here...

I decide how much responsibility I will or will not take regarding my health and no one else has any say in that decision.

Of course you do... but if you disregard the opinion of the professional you have no right to complain about the lack of care you are getting..

This discussion about patient compliance is implying that a patient forfeit control over their health decisions when they go to a doctor. The doctor is deciding what treatments, lifestyle changes, type of care, etc I accept or don't accept. That's absurd. I have every right to not lose weight if I don't want to and I don't have to explain or justify myself to anyone. Its my decision how much responsibility I will take for my health.

Yes it is. But I was not talking about you right now.

I was talking about the HC Worker who keeps on seeing people who do not take responsability for their own health, yet expect a magic pill from them to make it all better. That is frustrating I imagine.

If health care workers want to believe that patient behavior influences their job satisfaction that is their dysfunctional choice.

Dial down the judgement please... every choice is valid. I´m going going on and on about how your choice to not take care of yourself is dysfunctional, now am I?

And how is this reslly about concern for the patient? Its not. Anytime someone seems almost militant in expressing concern for another person's well being it is usually based on some distorted, irrational belief.

Just because it is not your believe does not make it distorted or irrational.


Anyway... this is supposed to be a thread about experiences with doctors, so I am going to stop this discussion now, not about their enjoyment in their work. If you want to continue, you can start a new thread and I´ll happily respond to that.

[sepiagal]

Originally Posted by ssandra

Dial down the judgement please... every choice is valid. I´m going going on and on about how your choice to not take care of yourself is dysfunctional, now am I?

(I am explaing this using the universal you. So you should not take this personally. These are concepts about self esteem that can be applied to most people.)

No, not every choice is valid; some coping skills are dysfunctional.

You want compliance because that is validation. That validation makes you feel your job is meaningful. Your job is meaningful or its not meaningful because of your beliefs. You can decide this yourself without any imput from others. Its your choice to change the way you think if you try to understand this stuff.)

You can believe something or not; it is a choice. But needing outside confirmation means you lack the confidence or self esteem to see the value of your job without outside confirmation. It makes you dependent on other people's opinion of you. If you truly value yourself then you can see the value of your job without needing validation from a stranger.

Dysfunctional means you adapted coping skills to deal with your self esteem issues that are not functional because you depend on another person's behavior. To function as an autonomous, emotionally self sufficient adult you should not need other peoples' behavior or opinions to feel good about yourself or your job.

QUOTE
Just because it is not your believe does not make it distorted or irrational.

It isn't just my belief. If you worked with a therapist you would see it is the therapist's belief).

Your well being is tied to factors you have no control over. That is irrational. You may not see that or realize that now but if you knew REBT (rational emotive behavior therapy) you could work through why there is an irrational belief underlying your behavior and thought processes.

You see other people as being more valuale than you. And you perpetuate your own devaluation of yourself when you depend on others' to validate you and your job.

[Dreamline]

Just found this today:

Health reform idea: Put down the doughnut - Health care- msnbc.com

Health reform idea: Put down the doughnut



Critics say consequences of individual choice missing from reform debate



By JoNel Aleccia
Health writer

updated 8:18 a.m. ET, Mon., Aug 10, 2009




If you ask Dr. Steven Spady, there are two important words missing from the nation’s conversation about health reform: “personal responsibility.”

But Spady, a 54-year-old emergency physician in rural Kentucky, can’t talk about the topic right now. He’s too busy caring for people who he says don’t take care of themselves.

“I just had to go take care of man that left our hospital this morning and now has gone and got drunk and will suck up more health care dollars,” Spady wrote in a hurried e-mail late on a recent weeknight.

That same day, he cared for a 358-pound man with diabetes who didn’t take his medication for two days and then stayed up all night playing poker, plus five different people who overdosed on prescription drugs.

“It just makes me very upset when I have to pay more and more taxes to support government health care programs and have to work longer and longer hours to help a lot of people that just don’t seem to care,” he wrote.

It’s not that Spady lacks compassion. He’s been on medical missions to Mexico and Haiti and has donated thousands of hours of free care in the Appalachian community where he’s worked for nearly a quarter century.

But Spady is part of a growing chorus of medical professionals, researchers and ordinary citizens who contend that the touchy topic of individual responsibility has been all but ignored in the debate about how to reform the nation’s health care system — and how to pay for it.

"Seldom does anyone suggest how — or if — the individual's role should be reformed," argued Lisa Herrington, 46, a former health industry administrator who launched a discussion of the topic in May on the blog "Thoughts that Make You Think."

"Having health insurance coverage doesn't make a person healthy. It's what you do with that coverage and your personal choices that make the difference," she added. //// (truncated)


_______________________________________

Guess I'm not the only one thinking along these lines. My compassion has been vindicated.

Jennifer

[Dreamline]

This is an email from the president of my hospital, sent today:

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx, xxxxxx
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 11:36 AM
To: All xxxxxxxxxxx Co-workers
Subject: Forums and Reform

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to attend the co-worker forums last week. If you have further questions, or need me to respond to a rumor, please email me or another member of the executive team. For those people who were unable to attend a session, we videotaped one, and you can watch it by going to the link on the Intranet, XXXX Web.

One question that came up in many of the sessions related to XXX's position on health reform and what’s happening in Congress. As you know, Congress has adjourned for its August recess. Many members of Congress are returning to their home districts to hear from their constituents. I thought it might be helpful to give you some of the executive team's key points concerning this important issue.

• · We support expanding health coverage for all.
  · We support an emphasis on quality care and measurement of outcomes.
  · We do not believe that doctors or hospitals should be funded at current Medicare rates.
  · We believe that information technology should continue to be integrated into the healthcare delivery system.
  · We believe in promoting and rewarding personal responsibility for health.
  · We support incentives to encourage medical students to go into family practice.

Current proposals in the House and Senate will go through many changes before a bill emerges in the fall.


Signed, XXXXXXX

________________

Same message. We support healtcare reform even though it will reshape our entire industry in ways we cannot even begin to predict. Imagine the president of a major bank saying they support banking reform not knowing how it will turn out or what the rules will be.

Again, comments about the patient's personal responsibility. This is not a myth.

The Medicare comment is because of insurance companies demanding that, no matter what your coverage, how much YOU or your employer pays in premiums or deductibles, that they only have to reimburse your MD or hospital at what Medicare gets to reimburse for. That isn't a desire of theirs. It's been a fact of being a healthcare provider for decades. Talk about a racket.

The comments about medical students going into family practice is because there is such a shortage as to soon be a major crisis. There are also shortages in radiologists who work in breast health which has the highest litigation rates of any branch of medicine including surgery and obstetrics. Nurses in certain fields and in hospitals in certain areas of the country.

Jennifer

[SomeRandomGuy]

Originally Posted by Dreamline

Just found this today:

Health reform idea: Put down the doughnut - Health care- msnbc.com

Health reform idea: Put down the doughnut



Critics say consequences of individual choice missing from reform debate



By JoNel Aleccia
Health writer

updated 8:18 a.m. ET, Mon., Aug 10, 2009




If you ask Dr. Steven Spady, there are two important words missing from the nation’s conversation about health reform: “personal responsibility.”

But Spady, a 54-year-old emergency physician in rural Kentucky, can’t talk about the topic right now. He’s too busy caring for people who he says don’t take care of themselves.

“I just had to go take care of man that left our hospital this morning and now has gone and got drunk and will suck up more health care dollars,” Spady wrote in a hurried e-mail late on a recent weeknight.

That same day, he cared for a 358-pound man with diabetes who didn’t take his medication for two days and then stayed up all night playing poker, plus five different people who overdosed on prescription drugs.

“It just makes me very upset when I have to pay more and more taxes to support government health care programs and have to work longer and longer hours to help a lot of people that just don’t seem to care,” he wrote.

It’s not that Spady lacks compassion. He’s been on medical missions to Mexico and Haiti and has donated thousands of hours of free care in the Appalachian community where he’s worked for nearly a quarter century.

But Spady is part of a growing chorus of medical professionals, researchers and ordinary citizens who contend that the touchy topic of individual responsibility has been all but ignored in the debate about how to reform the nation’s health care system — and how to pay for it.

"Seldom does anyone suggest how — or if — the individual's role should be reformed," argued Lisa Herrington, 46, a former health industry administrator who launched a discussion of the topic in May on the blog "Thoughts that Make You Think."

"Having health insurance coverage doesn't make a person healthy. It's what you do with that coverage and your personal choices that make the difference," she added. //// (truncated)


_______________________________________

Guess I'm not the only one thinking along these lines. My compassion has been vindicated.

Jennifer

This doctor is from very near to where I grew up, so I definitely am aware of what he is talking about. When discussing healthcare reform, especially government funded or sponsored coverage, personal responsibility of the individual has to be considered.

Healthcare reform is a very complex issue, which is worthy of discussion and debate. Regardless of the outcome of a debate on healthcare reform, however, the fact remain that most evidence presented in this thread so far indicates that most people seem to have more negative experiences with doctors than positive experiences.

[jamesbiz]

Originally Posted by SomeRandomGuy

This doctor is from very near to where I grew up, so I definitely am aware of what he is talking about. When discussing healthcare reform, especially government funded or sponsored coverage, personal responsibility of the individual has to be considered.

Healthcare reform is a very complex issue, which is worthy of discussion and debate. Regardless of the outcome of a debate on healthcare reform, however, the fact remain that most evidence presented in this thread so far indicates that most people seem to have more negative experiences with doctors than positive experiences.

IN THIS THREAD. This thread is not most people, let alone even a lot of people. You can not take your evidence or assumptions from this thread alone. Give me a topic and I'll show you a forum that is full of negative experiences. Almost doesn't matter what the topic is, I can find a huge group of people complaining. Again, not EVERYONE on this thread is like this, but a good majority are against most things a doctor is taught to do. So it's only obvious that they'd also find negative experiences from going to doctors who will just tell them things they already don't agree with, and knew the doctor would say anyways. How about we say that the people on this forum have negative experiences, because the experience they are searching for is NOT the norm? Huge amount of vegans on this board, so how many doctors do you think they have found that not only agree with being a vegan, but know enough about it to tell them how to live their lives?

And please stop using fact. There is no fact, and no fact remains, and there is no evidence. Just peoples views, and perceptions, and opinions. And those views, perceptions, and opinions, come from a very select pool of people. You might as well go to a womens rally and ask them about womens rights.

[SomeRandomGuy]

Originally Posted by jamesbiz

IN THIS THREAD. This thread is not most people, let alone even a lot of people. You can not take your evidence or assumptions from this thread alone. Give me a topic and I'll show you a forum that is full of negative experiences. Almost doesn't matter what the topic is, I can find a huge group of people complaining. Again, not EVERYONE on this thread is like this, but a good majority are against most things a doctor is taught to do. So it's only obvious that they'd also find negative experiences from going to doctors who will just tell them things they already don't agree with, and knew the doctor would say anyways. How about we say that the people on this forum have negative experiences, because the experience they are searching for is NOT the norm? Huge amount of vegans on this board, so how many doctors do you think they have found that not only agree with being a vegan, but know enough about it to tell them how to live their lives?

And please stop using fact. There is no fact, and no fact remains, and there is no evidence. Just peoples views, and perceptions, and opinions. And those views, perceptions, and opinions, come from a very select pool of people. You might as well go to a womens rally and ask them about womens rights.

You are right, this thread is not most people or even a lot of people. All we have to go from in this thread are the people who have responded. Everyone should draw their own conclusion based on the evidence available to them.

I find that these boards are filled with people with ideas and values similar to mine. I value the opinions and experiences of the people on these boards for that reason. Sounds like this is not true for you, which is fine. You can view the experiences described here as reaffirming of your opinion that most of us here are doctor-haters if you'd like.

Sorry that you didn't like my wording in the response to Dreamline. I can reword it without using the word "fact", if that would make you feel better. The intention of that reply was to point out that while the article linked to provides valid points on the healthcare reform debate, it really isn't relevant to the topic of the thread.

[aggie]

unless any of us are behind govenment doors or unless some of us attend these bogus town meetings (heard a tape of one today on the radio and it was frightening), unless you work in the business and see it in black and white in front of your face everyday....unless you have had a personal experience that plays out every fear one could have regarding their health care...we are all limited to "facts"...but we are not privy to some of them and we have to depend on legitimate, unbiased reporting to give it to us.

if we don't have facts it is because right now they are limited and people are in an uproar about a bunch of hearsay.

but we have to take some of the things that are presented that we have experienced and we do know to develope our own conclusions.

i don't believe every time a difficult issue presents itself we all say, oh, but that is not a fact or that is not the truth , or do you know what the truth is, or what the lie is....after awhile that can be a copout...we need to make ourselves aware and base our opinions on what is available to us.

[jamesbiz]

Originally Posted by aggie

unless any of us are behind govenment doors or unless some of us attend these bogus town meetings (heard a tape of one today on the radio and it was frightening), unless you work in the business and see it in black and white in front of your face everyday....unless you have had a personal experience that plays out every fear one could have regarding their health care...we are all limited to "facts"...but we are not privy to some of them and we have to depend on legitimate, unbiased reporting to give it to us.

if we don't have facts it is because right now they are limited and people are in an uproar about a bunch of hearsay.

but we have to take some of the things that are presented that we have experienced and we do know to develope our own conclusions.

i don't believe every time a difficult issue presents itself we all say, oh, but that is not a fact or that is not the truth , or do you know what the truth is, or what the lie is....after awhile that can be a copout...we need to make ourselves aware and base our opinions on what is available to us.

We can do many things with out resorting to extreme measures that rely ONLY on those same "facts" that people claim to be utter "truth". Stay away from things that don't have enough facts, and require you to develop your own conclusions. That's called assuming. Don't say it's not. Your own conclusions are not other peoples conclusions. You are only assuming them to be a conclusion from the limited facts as well as lies that hide behind the veil of being facts. If there are 50% of people who have completely opposite views of the same fact, or complete opposite conclusions, then what makes your conclusion anymore credible then theirs?

We can EASILY conclude that America is overweight. That's pretty easy, and it's right there in front of everyone's faces. I really don't' think you'll find a single person who would say otherwise. Can even a fat person say that to many people in America AREN'T overweight? The conclusion that I reach from the facts that I have seen tell me no.

[jamesbiz]

Originally Posted by SomeRandomGuy

You are right, this thread is not most people or even a lot of people. All we have to go from in this thread are the people who have responded. Everyone should draw their own conclusion based on the evidence available to them.

I find that these boards are filled with people with ideas and values similar to mine. I value the opinions and experiences of the people on these boards for that reason. Sounds like this is not true for you, which is fine. You can view the experiences described here as reaffirming of your opinion that most of us here are doctor-haters if you'd like.

Sorry that you didn't like my wording in the response to Dreamline. I can reword it without using the word "fact", if that would make you feel better. The intention of that reply was to point out that while the article linked to provides valid points on the healthcare reform debate, it really isn't relevant to the topic of the thread.

It's not about making me feel better My feelings should not rely on other peoples words. You can write what you want, when you want, and how you want. I said please stop. Maybe I should have said can you stop? Either way, I did not make a blank statement demanding that you stop, or else. Using the word fact taints the true heart of this topic. We don't know enough of the facts to claim anything as sheer fact. People are very easily accepting of something as a fact if enough people call it a fact. Go ask then next person you find what is the one man made object that can be seen from outer space. When they answer you with the wrong answer, are they lying? No, they think it's a fact, and they will claim it as such, and the next person will take that fact and reassert the strength that people give to that fact.

It's not about being doctor haters. It's about having a biased view of doctors. Will you deny that? Are the people on here unbiased? They obviously don't like prescriptions, and are on this forum to learn natural techniques. The doctors bag of tricks mostly relies on drugs as the cure all for anything that ails you. It's obvious people on here don't believe that, and to a great extent I don't either. I don't take a single drug, and unless I'm in dire need, I will not. So why does a person on here who believes in all that even go to a regular doctor? We all know what the doctor will say to us. We all know what the doctor will give us. We've experienced it more then enough times. I doubt the people on here truly expect that anything will change. The only change that would work for them would be if the doctors took a more holistic approach, as well as paying more attention to their patients. That will NOT happen. Not anytime soon at least. More people are born every day, and more people will be able to go to doctors. The already over worked doctors and short staffed hospitals will be even busier. Doctors will quit, and less doctors will wanna become doctors. It's enough of a fact that plenty of doctors have already admitted to that. How that equates to better care, I have no idea. How that equates to more personalized care is even more beyond me.

I value experiences and values of everyone around me, but I do not subscribe to their exact views, because our experiences are ALL different. Those experiences are what create our values. I'm not being condescending to you, but it sounds like you are to me. You are free to do so, but I am just telling you how I'm viewing it. I might be wrong, but that doesn't change that fact that I am perceiving it as such.

[aggie]

i understand what you are saying.

i understand the concept of assumption (gotten into enough trouble on that one in my life

but seriously, i think sometimes i would be walking in some kind of vacuum if i did not at least react to the stimuli around me in life.

no it is not all concrete, except maybe an example that you gave, but if nothing else we have to have the curiosity to pursue and investigate what we are given. i guess it gets down to trusting. in something. anything. and i don't say that haphazardly.

we have to have feelings, we have to develop opinions, we have to investigate the facts that are in front of us. we have to listen. we have to be aware. we eventually, some of us anyway, have to commit to something.
whether it is an opinion or attitude on health care or anything else. if we believe we don't have the truths. then we need to use our voice. we need to try to be heard. we cannot just stand idly by until someone puts a sheet of "facts" in front of our noses.

by then it could be too late.

[Dreamline]

Ok, I'll bite.

I have fantastic doctors. The only doctor I didn't like was a dentist I was once recommended by my grandmother when I was a preteen. He was brutal and obviously wasn't a fan of Novocaine. I'm certain I left fingerprint dents in the leather of his chair.

My pediatrician was phenomenal. He actually lived in the upstairs part of his office which was a modest two story house in town. He was really a family MD. I could call him, when I got older, he'd ask a few questions over the phone, and be able to diagnose minor things over the phone without making you come for an office visit. Call in a prescription. When he retired, there was a pilgrammage to his office by all the people he had taken care of. It was like paying respects to a dead pope. Lines down the block. Literally.

After that I graduated to my first gynecologist. My only complaint about her is that she was alone with no collegues so the wait was sometimes long to see her while you waited in the office. I cured that by only seeing her as the first appt of the day or the first after they got back from lunch. The only mistake she ever made was that my records mixed up with my cousin who had the same unusual name. She retired....

My next MD was recommended to me by a coworker. Another gyn. He had a wall of certificates in his waiting room of all his humanitarian efforts all over the world. He lived up to every one of them. He was kind, patient, smart, gentle and had the best nurse on the planet. I only had him for a couple years. I moved to a new state.....

It took me a year to choose my next MD because I was in a new state. I knew no one "in the field" yet. I took a recommendation from a coworker and adore my new gyn. Her whole group is fantastic. I can talk to her about anything but I know how to maximize my visits by NOT WHINING, being clear about my symptoms, having all my questions ready, having all my tests up to date. This group helped me through four miscarriages and their nurses are great. My only complaint is that the front staff is not up to the quality of the rest of the practice but having had the task of trying to find receptionists, schedulers and billers in the medical field, it's a tough row to hoe, I know this.

I also have to have a primary care MD for my insurance. Or did. My new insurance let's me pick who I want. She is the best diagnostician I have ever seen. Without having to order any tests on me other than bloodwork, she has not made an error in the nine years I have seen her. I tell her my symptoms, she diagnoses me, gives me meds if I need them, I get better. No expensive xrays. No MRIs. No crazy stuff. No trial and error. My favorite thing is that even if I am an emergency work-in, I never have to wait. They have their schedule down to a science. My only complaint is that she has been brainwashed over the last few years to be a pill-pusher by those evil drug reps. She doesn't have a little cabinet of samples...she has a whole room of floor to ceiling cabinets for her drugs samples. I just say no.

I have had other doctors in between those but either they were not on my insurance and I had to leave them or I saw them for only specialist things.

Jennifer

[SomeRandomGuy]

I recently heard of a very positive experience from a family member, and so thought I'd add that to the thread.

My cousin has a cyst in his jaw bone, which the doctor was doing a biopsy on. During the procedure, there was a puncture which began squirting blood. The facility where the procedure was being done was not equipped to deal with the bleeding, so he was air lifted to a hospital 150 miles away. The doctor insisted on riding in the helicopter with him, and kept his hand in my cousin's mouth the entire time to hold pressure on the puncture to reduce the bleeding. Even after the bleeding stopped, the doctor decided to spend the next few days in the area, so he would be close by if any complications arose.

This doctor seems to have gone beyond what most doctors would do in that situation. I would consider this a positive experience.

[st33med]

Originally Posted by SomeRandomGuy

I recently heard of a very positive experience from a family member, and so thought I'd add that to the thread.

My cousin has a cyst in his jaw bone, which the doctor was doing a biopsy on. During the procedure, there was a puncture which began squirting blood. The facility where the procedure was being done was not equipped to deal with the bleeding, so he was air lifted to a hospital 150 miles away. The doctor insisted on riding in the helicopter with him, and kept his hand in my cousin's mouth the entire time to hold pressure on the puncture to reduce the bleeding. Even after the bleeding stopped, the doctor decided to spend the next few days in the area, so he would be close by if any complications arose.

This doctor seems to have gone beyond what most doctors would do in that situation. I would consider this a positive experience.

Ouch. Wisdom teeth removal?

[SomeRandomGuy]

Originally Posted by st33med

Ouch. Wisdom teeth removal?

No, I'm told that what he has is called arteriovenous malformation.

[aggie]

i had no idea this thread was still active. after reviewing a lot of it...it is supposed to be about experience with doctors....and unfortunately, as a healthcare worker, everyday i see how the fear created by the fear mongers and the attitude of healthcare providers that are afraid of not being able to use the system anymore, is affecting patients experiences with doctors.

healthcare reform and experience with doctors, imo, cannot be exclusive of each other.

and not all people without sufficient healthcare at this time abuse their bodies. they just can't afford to be treated for the basics which can sometimes result in more serious chronic conditions and emergency room treatment which costs them and the taxpayers more.

this does all go full circle to doctor experience. what i see on a daily basis is some doctors, as the system stands now...don't want to be questioned, or have knowledgeable patients...i have seen patients cry, yell at the doctor, walk out of the office, change doctors, or pay money for meds or treatment they don't want.

then i also see the wonderful experiences of a wonderful diagnostician who can literally save someone's life. my own personal experience was finding what appears to be a genetic problem with plaque that intially was not evident until further testing was done and found as healthy otherwise my lab results and appearance and lifestyle showed...i was walking around with moderate chance for heart attack or stroke. and i will be forever grateful to my doctor for that.