Comments on: Why I’m a Bad Doctor – Part I

By: CJ Gross

CJ Gross — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:09:53 +0000

Yeah, I’d have to agree. You are a bad doctor. perhaps consider a job where you don’t have to deal with people because you are obviously very unskilled in that department. It is a shame that people like you are in the medical field at all. Do you remember taking the Hippocratic Oath . . . try to remember what it says. Try to remember why you are a doctor in the first place. It’s not to pretend that you are God. It’s not to look down on others. You are a truly unfortunate soul. Give your patients a break, get out of the field immediately. As a doctor, you should strive to have every patient say that you are exemplary. The fact that you sarcastically call yourself a bad doctor really says it all. Poor poor you.

By: Pat Whitmore

Pat Whitmore — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 04:11:08 +0000

I don’t think doctors today are as concerned about their patients’ health as they once were. It could be that they are required to do more paperwork for the insurance companies who pay them, and they spend a proportionately larger amount of time on that paperwork. Also, I don’t think they are as honest and straight forward as they once were. I’m sure it is difficult to give bad news to a patient, but there comes a time when you have to step up to the plate. If you’re a wimp, you shouldn’t be a doctor. Becoming a good doctor takes more than financial resources, and the ability to pass tests and get through school; many people can do those things. A good doctor is one who can respect the patient, empathize with a given patient, and put themselves in the patient’s shoes. A doctor who hides from his or her responsibilities is not a doctor at all and should, perhaps, considering leaving the field.

By: Rissa

Rissa — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 11:36:35 +0000

Not a doc…I do the mental health.

In response to all the OPs who suggest that this doc was “rude” or otherwise inconsiderate:
Gads of Americans are turning into pansies. We go to the doctor for ANYthing.
P: “Uh, hey doc, it hurts when I punch myself here.”
D: “Then don’t punch yourself.”
P: “What? You aren’t going to do any tests? I could be dyin’ here!”

I’m sorry, but I just don’t see how coddling an impatient patient does the patient one lick of good. It teaches them that EVERYTHING is worth of a doctor’s visit and that EVERYTHING needs medical treatment to resolve.

Which is B.S.

By: a doc and a mom

a doc and a mom — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:12:16 +0000

I think this whole needing a note for school day absence thing is absurd, and places families and physicians in adversarial positions.

I missed a day of work last week for gastroenteritis with vomiting. It passed in 24 hours and I didn’t go to any doctor, of course.

It’s paradoxical and oppressive to expect me to take more time off of work to overbook into a busy doctor’s schedule to get a note ‘excusing’ me for my absence.

Parents can decide when it benefits their children to miss a day of school. And quite frankly, the reason might have nothing whatsoever to do with their physical health in any case.

By: Laughioff

Laughioff — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:33:29 +0000

Being a Doctor in general is very trying at times. Its long hours and you encounter, at times, difficult patients and family members. I find your blog to be a good example of how ridiculous people can be. The first case sound like she may have wanted pain medcation, or not. At the same time, who could blame her, 4 days in pain is not a fun thing, trust me, its not. The second case is a joke. Yes, while the little boy is shakend up, sedative probably should be administered to calm hi down. To have him putuder General Anesthesia is insane. There is always a risk with GA And all over a 1cm cut, insane. To request a plastic surgeon is outageous too, if the mom and grandmom thought this doctor was bad, wait until they meet the plastic surgeon. If that plastic surgeon came down an seen the 1cm cut he would not be happy. He/she would probably turn around and say, are you kidding me, this is a waste of my time. The third case, unfortunately, all the poor man’s tests have been normal, and no one seems to id a explaination, I think using a walker is a good idea, becauase if he had another episode, te walker will provide him with support. However, medicare does require ligeitiment reason for a hospital admition, a docot just can’t say, oh ok, you wanted your loved one admitted, ok sure, no problem. There is a protocol that must be filed. Just like is a patient has insurance and they wanted to leave the hospital after say being there for 2 weeks, and they sign out AMA, which I strongly suggest you don’t, your insurance company now is not required to pay for your hospital stay, which mens yo will get the bill. Your insurance campany doesn’t not have to pay for your admition if there isn’t a legitment reason. USA offers wonderful healthcare, not I am all for a healthcare reform. I don’t know you, but from your blog, I don’t think you are a bad doctor. The patients and family probably didn’t like your staight forward answers and questions, they probably wanted you to baby them. Everyone always wantsto blame the doctors. The problem is is that when it comes to healthcare no one wants to hear mistakes, and in reality, humans are not perfect, and doctors are human. Everyone is so quick to point the finger at the dctors. They want to complain about little things, a 1cm cut, a mouth sore. I am not trying to gain pitty, but you don’t know what bad is. I had a lap chole in 2007 and I am still sick from it I have had 16 surgries in 2 1/2 years, the most recent being the end of Jan.2010, and I now, no longer have a belly button. And I don’t complain. Yeah, do I sometimes get upset that I am 25 and have had to put to my life on hold, with school and work, especially when I see my friends gradating college, getting married, having kids, yeah. Talk about needing a plastic surgeon, I am going to need abdominal reconstruction, and someone is radical over a 1cm cut. you don’t know anything. When I would go to doctors, I would sit in the waiting room and I could always tell who did’t have any medical experience because they would be the ones freaking out and yelling at te staff. Someone people just don’t have any class. They want what hey want right now. And as for the doctors being “bad”. Like I stated before, I have been sick since 2007, and I had to go to the ER numerous times. And I would most of the time be sent home because the ct scans would be normal, but I was still in so much pain. Well I use to work at the hospital where I would go to the ER and where I had surgery. And I know if it is seen that you have had frequent ER visits it is assumed you are “drug seeking” but I wasn’t, and on one occassion, I was in so much pain, my friend took me to the ER. I waited 3 hrs in the waiting room and when I got back there i was given a GI cocktail and told, we are not good at the chronic pain stuff but the life threatening stuff they are really good, gave me a shot of toradol and discharged me home, not lab work no nothing. Healthcare, in the USA is wonderful!! Not!!

By: Barbara

Barbara — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:01:00 +0000

My fathers doctor kept saying the same thing this doctor was saying so after multiple doctor appointments with him saying he was just getting old (He was 66!) we went to another doctor and guess what, he has parkinsons disease!

By: TODK

TODK — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:22:20 +0000

Your response in all three situations was adequate. Better than most I would say. However, I would suggest that you learn to base the tone and wording of your response according to the level of intelligence of the person are dealing with. You responded to each of the three patients and or their family member, as if they were highly educated medical doctors. Since their IQs may have been average or below, they considered you to be arrogant and uncaring, even though your response were direct an accurate.

By: pjameson

pjameson — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:20:57 +0000

Your poor attitude toward patients if surely resulting in them receiving less than good care. I get angered every time I hear docs and nurses complain about a “faker” or someone “whining” and subsequently dragging their feet. Especially when results come back to show the patient has a legit issue and they then just shrug their shoulders. If your kids were the patient you would be worse than anyone you described above for sure.

By: TNK

TNK — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:12:59 +0000

This is what I was talking about below. Some doctors (not all) do not listen. They hear bla blah blah but do not really engage in listening to the patients concerns.

When I read this doctors description of what happened I thought he was pretty rude. He more or less told them… yeah so what..

The dog case, I immediately thought.. maybe the kid is going to get really worked up and needs to be calmed down. He just got bit by a dog, which was traumatizing enough. Maybe knocking him out is not the answer, but offering something safer to “chill him out” would have been appropriate. My daughter punches and kicks people when they come near her with needles, and she is 12. I might say something to a doctor or nurse about getting her calmed down with something before attempting such a task.

The falling patient. It sounds like he has been through a lot of visits with no answers. I’m sure the wife is concerned (as well as the man). If they have been to several doctors is it possible that each has done some preliminary hunting but not really indepth analysis of what is REALLY going on. People don’t just fall over and over again for no reason.

By: TNK

TNK — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:02:56 +0000

Ok, not to be rude.. but some people with serious mental health issues can present and cover up their issues. Maybe the family was concerned that this lady 99.9% of the time is not taking care of herself (living in deplorable conditions, not washing, etc.). Something you as a physician wouldn’t pick up on in a 15 minute office visit.