I’m a 4th year medical student and I make a point of listening first and openly admitting if I don’t know something and then I go look it up. I really detest the old-school doctors that are overly confident and paternalistic. It’s a terrible way to practice medicine.
Honestly, it sounds like you want to be one of the good ones. Piece of advice, you were a bit dismissive with me. I said I had a bad experience that was common (among the chronically ill) and you told me you ‘just get a different doctor’. As the experience is common, like I said, it genuinely isn’t that easy. Most of us have tried many doctors and had an experience like this on some way with every one. So, I guess, the advice is, listen to patients who are disillusioned with the medical system and believe them when they share their experience. You seem to be super genuine and to have just had a small blind spot, so please don’t take this the wrong way, I’m telling you this because I think you really want to do right by us and I think this could help.
I meant to be dismissive about that doctor’s medical knowledge, not to be dismissive of your experience. I have my own complex health problems and I know that switching providers is not always easy, but if a physician who has been practicing for years doesn’t know something that they put on the first and second levels of board exams, I would be suspicious of their expertise in other areas. Even before starting medical school, I would “fire” a doctor and get a new one if they told me something that was provably nonsense/wrong. Health is precious and should not be entrusted to people without the knowledge and humility to keep learning throughout their lives as medical providers.
I’m a 4th year medical student and I make a point of listening first and openly admitting if I don’t know something and then I go look it up. I really detest the old-school doctors that are overly confident and paternalistic. It’s a terrible way to practice medicine.
Honestly, it sounds like you want to be one of the good ones. Piece of advice, you were a bit dismissive with me. I said I had a bad experience that was common (among the chronically ill) and you told me you ‘just get a different doctor’. As the experience is common, like I said, it genuinely isn’t that easy. Most of us have tried many doctors and had an experience like this on some way with every one. So, I guess, the advice is, listen to patients who are disillusioned with the medical system and believe them when they share their experience. You seem to be super genuine and to have just had a small blind spot, so please don’t take this the wrong way, I’m telling you this because I think you really want to do right by us and I think this could help.
I meant to be dismissive about that doctor’s medical knowledge, not to be dismissive of your experience. I have my own complex health problems and I know that switching providers is not always easy, but if a physician who has been practicing for years doesn’t know something that they put on the first and second levels of board exams, I would be suspicious of their expertise in other areas. Even before starting medical school, I would “fire” a doctor and get a new one if they told me something that was provably nonsense/wrong. Health is precious and should not be entrusted to people without the knowledge and humility to keep learning throughout their lives as medical providers.
May you never lose that sentiment or burn out over it.