Hypochondriacs are always happy to go to the doctors.
As Dr. Phil would say, they get something out of the experience beyond the normal "I don't feel good, can you help me, or I feel great but I have a yearly check-up anyhow" motivation that drives most visits.
For hypochondriacs there is a special feeling they get when whining about imaginary illnesses to a white coat. Is it attention? Whatever it is, I am not one of these people.
I consider a doctor's visit a necessary evil and only do it when all other methods of self-healing have been exhausted. I didn't always feel this way - and medical care hasn't always been run like big business under the scrutiny of even bigger insurance companies.
When my doctor and my dentist retired years ago, I was left in a sea of impersonal and self-righteous professionals who studied for years to become adored, well-paid health care providers, but ended up needing an MBA more than an MD or DDS, and an in-house attorney more than a sweet-voiced receptionist. Large chips grew on their shoulders because they felt duped.
Even twenty years ago, the dream of coming out of medical school or dental school with a promised large monetary compensation to make up for all the years of training and expense of setting up a practice, could be realized.
Today it's harder on all of us, patients to doctors. Doctors and dentists don't feel they are getting their due; patients suffer because it is harder and harder to get an appointment and often they fear the unnecessary testing imposed upon them because of the number of malpractice suits that rise yearly along with the number of vexatious or frivolous law suits in general.
As I said on another blog, the big bad wolf in this situation is not the patient and not even the doctor or dentist, for the most part, but the insurance companies that start the ball rolling when their profits aren't as high as they'd like.
Never feel sorry for an insurance company or a pharmaceutical company no matter what propaganda they throw out. Don't even feel real sorry for the MDs and dentists, they are doing quite alright - usually live quite well and although not compensated as lavishly as in the past- certainly well above all other professionals.
Please factor in the reality that medical professionals should want to be in the field, enjoy what they are doing and that they should have chosen this career because they believed they would be happy doing this type of work.
If it's all about money, then get thee to a financial services company and give up the Hippocratic oath for one that suits them better like: Shit, my stocks went down! Goddamn it the deal fell through! That bastard stole my account! etc.
I think the thing that bugs the medical professionals the most is that they aren't adored as they once were. As a class, they are no longer worshiped and suffer abasement each time an insurance company tells them what drugs to prescribe or what tests to push. As their skin gets thinner, their inability to communicate with their patients grows. I know now that if you ask a question to a doctor or disagree with something he or she says, you are in trouble.
They have to take it from the insurance companies but they damn well don't have to take it from you!
A rude 'tude becomes the norm and patients are then dismissed as necessary evils, which completes the circle as far as I'm concerned.
One thing I know --without patients there IS NO money.
Sorry your crown and robe have been stolen from you dear doctors and dentists, but alas, this does separate the wheat from the chaff. If you love what you are doing, even with malpractice suits, sue-happy patients, greedy insurance companies, and all, you will rise above these thorns in your side and find great satisfaction in helping others get or stay well.
Your patients will see this in you and love your for it and maybe you will earn back some of that adoration you once thought came right along with your diploma.
As Dr. Phil would say, they get something out of the experience beyond the normal "I don't feel good, can you help me, or I feel great but I have a yearly check-up anyhow" motivation that drives most visits.
For hypochondriacs there is a special feeling they get when whining about imaginary illnesses to a white coat. Is it attention? Whatever it is, I am not one of these people.
I consider a doctor's visit a necessary evil and only do it when all other methods of self-healing have been exhausted. I didn't always feel this way - and medical care hasn't always been run like big business under the scrutiny of even bigger insurance companies.
When my doctor and my dentist retired years ago, I was left in a sea of impersonal and self-righteous professionals who studied for years to become adored, well-paid health care providers, but ended up needing an MBA more than an MD or DDS, and an in-house attorney more than a sweet-voiced receptionist. Large chips grew on their shoulders because they felt duped.
Even twenty years ago, the dream of coming out of medical school or dental school with a promised large monetary compensation to make up for all the years of training and expense of setting up a practice, could be realized.
Today it's harder on all of us, patients to doctors. Doctors and dentists don't feel they are getting their due; patients suffer because it is harder and harder to get an appointment and often they fear the unnecessary testing imposed upon them because of the number of malpractice suits that rise yearly along with the number of vexatious or frivolous law suits in general.
As I said on another blog, the big bad wolf in this situation is not the patient and not even the doctor or dentist, for the most part, but the insurance companies that start the ball rolling when their profits aren't as high as they'd like.
Never feel sorry for an insurance company or a pharmaceutical company no matter what propaganda they throw out. Don't even feel real sorry for the MDs and dentists, they are doing quite alright - usually live quite well and although not compensated as lavishly as in the past- certainly well above all other professionals.
Please factor in the reality that medical professionals should want to be in the field, enjoy what they are doing and that they should have chosen this career because they believed they would be happy doing this type of work.
If it's all about money, then get thee to a financial services company and give up the Hippocratic oath for one that suits them better like: Shit, my stocks went down! Goddamn it the deal fell through! That bastard stole my account! etc.
I think the thing that bugs the medical professionals the most is that they aren't adored as they once were. As a class, they are no longer worshiped and suffer abasement each time an insurance company tells them what drugs to prescribe or what tests to push. As their skin gets thinner, their inability to communicate with their patients grows. I know now that if you ask a question to a doctor or disagree with something he or she says, you are in trouble.
They have to take it from the insurance companies but they damn well don't have to take it from you!
A rude 'tude becomes the norm and patients are then dismissed as necessary evils, which completes the circle as far as I'm concerned.
One thing I know --without patients there IS NO money.
Sorry your crown and robe have been stolen from you dear doctors and dentists, but alas, this does separate the wheat from the chaff. If you love what you are doing, even with malpractice suits, sue-happy patients, greedy insurance companies, and all, you will rise above these thorns in your side and find great satisfaction in helping others get or stay well.
Your patients will see this in you and love your for it and maybe you will earn back some of that adoration you once thought came right along with your diploma.
posted by mary bishop | 10:21 AM
3 Comments:
Things Doctors could do to make themselves lovable:
1. Wear pin saying "kiss me, I'm a doctor"
2. Carry teddybears and give out heartshaped candy
3. Work out and stay in shape
4. Compliment strangers
5. Take humility lessons
6. Don't think all people/patients are stoopid.
7. Drive old cars
8. Golf less
9. Pay attention in seminars and knit to relax.
10. Lose the resentment or at least don't take it out on me!
11. Remember no matter what your specialty/skill/job, if it deals with the public, it boils down to CUSTOMER SERVICE. sorry, it's true.
12. Remember the old time axiom: the Customer is Always Right. (that doesn't always mean for real...just make them feel that way...)
13. Extend patient contact from 4.8 min. to at least 10 min.
14. Forget the "patient mill" we know what you're doing and we don't like it.
15. Use those good brains to collectively fight insurance companys.
16. Ya know when I'll really luuuuuv doctors? When they go back to house calls. Hee hee....
17. Give lollipops and hugs at the end of each visit.
18. Become a doctor b/c you love the job and people not money.
19. Understand that most people aren't trying to mess w/you or make your life hell...they just want to feel good and are frustrated, in pain, scared...
20. Treat me like you would your wife, daughter, mother....
Ah yes, and I love the last one. When my mother was dying of cancer and suffering some assault upon her mind or body, she'd often say: They wouldn't treat Nancy Reagan like this....
And they wouldn't. In fact today, think big money and you don't have to think of sitting in an office still waiting for our appointment hours after the scheduled time; or pain, no pain for the rich and famous, they get their drugs, but the little old lady in the corner with her stockings rolled down and her old dress - she'll have to suffer pain because after all - she could become addicted.
Interestingly enough, I noticed that many ethnic ( by that I mean Russian-speaking doctors), are much more personable(?) or personal (?)... anyway, human than the ones trained here to begin with. With some of them it's pretty easy to talk about things other than your problem (or lack thereof). They don't play golf either...
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