What do doctors know? (warning: rant)

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Replies

  • Drunkadelic
    Drunkadelic Posts: 948 Member
    Q: You know what they call a doctor that graduates the absolute worst in the class?




    A; A Doctor

    ding ding ding.

    I know quite a few people that just graduated medical school and I would not want ANY OF THEM to work on me or anyone I care about.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Q: You know what they call a doctor that graduates the absolute worst in the class?




    A; A Doctor

    ding ding ding.

    I know quite a few people that just graduated medical school and I would not want ANY OF THEM to work on me or anyone I care about.

    I wonder how many of those are going to be pediatricians? That specialty tends to attract the worst of the bunch.

    The summer my daughter was 5, every day for a month she came down with a low-grade fever in the afternoon.. We had her at the doc's (recommended by my aunt whose friends were close friends of the docs at this particular practice) every week and they kept sending us home saying it was "a summer virus" (whatever that is). They were actually getting annoyed that I kept bringing her back in.

    They had done a quick urine culture that came back negative, but my other aunt (an RN for more years than she would want me to tell you all) thought they needed to do a 36-hour culture. She finally came with me to an appointment and told the doc what she thought. The doctor actually told my aunt that she didn't know what she was talking about and basically that as a nurse, she should know her place.

    Regardless, they did the 36-hour and it came back positive for a UTI. She'd had it a month already, which meant visits to a urologist and Children's Hospital to make sure her kidneys were OK. As soon as she was given the all-clear, I found a new pediatrician who was wonderful.

    So, yeah, doctors are not always right and sometimes it helps to ask others of their experiences with certain symptoms, especially when the docs aren't giving any results.
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
    I have to agree with the OP. Don't completely discount your doctor's advice. Your health is also your responsibility. So here are the steps I advise anyone to take to make sure they they do not feel that their doctor is a clueless quack:

    1. Write down ALL your concerns before you go to the appointment. This way your are less likely to forget a point or blow it off b/c you're ready to leave.
    2. If you don't agree with what they tell you, voice that. "Sorry, I don't like what I'm hearing. Can you explain why that's a good idea?" Believe me, they will not mind telling you. That is their job. If they do mind, fire them.
    3. If you read something that contradicts their recommendation, tell them that. For example, if they recommend 1200 calories and you heard 1700, tell them that and ask why the 1200 is superior. DON'T HOLD BACK.
    4. You have a right to say NO. If your doctor recommends a therapy to which you object, say NO. Ask for an alternative. Most of the time there is one.
    5. If you want a referral to a dietician, ask.

    And as for insurance not covering the dietician, save your money and go on your own. It's worth it. We are so used to only going to a specialist that is covered. Call the recommended dietician and find out how much a consultation is. Then save the money and GO. Don't use the GP as a substitute b/c of coverage.

    HTH
  • snuggllepuff
    snuggllepuff Posts: 34
    When my doctor heard that I eat a lot of steak and eggs he flipped out and told me I was going to die and have a heart attack.

    Then he tested my blood work during my checkup and said I had the most impressive blood work he's seen in a while.

    psh.
  • Juliebean_1027
    Juliebean_1027 Posts: 713 Member
    When I went to my doctor because I was concerned that I wasn't losing weight even though I was restricting my calories to 1600 per day and working out 5 days a week (an hour of cardio each day and 30 minutes of weight training), her advice was to "maybe starve yourself a little bit. When you eat something, weigh yourself. If you see the scale go up, that's it. No more food that day."

    ...

    I went to see if I had a thyroid problem, not be prescribed an eating disorder. Needless to say, that was the last time I saw that doctor.

    Doctor's, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them know what they're talking about. Others don't know squat.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Yeah, and my doctor thinks he's an expert in just about everything. He has downright lied to me about several things. Just making statements that "I know" are blatantly false. He was also the one who pooh poohed my diet and said I will never lose weight eating 1500 calories a day. He insists 1000 is the only way to lose weight. Also, I told him what I had for breakfast that morning and he's like.. "you can't eat potatoes when you want to lose weight". I told him I had lots of experience with this and he still tried to make me look like an idiot. Just because I need to lose weight doesn't mean I don't know how to do it.:wink: I hate him for trying to humiliate me and definitely need to find a new doctor.
  • SirZee
    SirZee Posts: 381
    In my experience, most general practicioners (ie. the first doctor 99% of people see) don't know much about sports medicine or physiology, and any advice they give is heavily skewed towards protecting their rear. On a broader scale, I find it depressing on how large the number of people who barely cross the competency threshold in their PRIMARY field of specification, its scary how our lives are literally run and affected by people most of whom are nothing but "average" in their field. It is soooo hard to find true experts in their field. Its just that doctors tend to play prominent roles, as the things that they affect in your life are quite major. Do your research and then get multiple opinions on any major item, especially those where the initial advice doesn't mesh with your well executed research.

    This is why so many "non doctors" weigh in opposite of "my doctor said" posts.

    When you go to the doctor, ignore the aura of "I'm your superior human being, bow down and take my word as gospel". Unfortunately the medical profession cultivates this kind of environment (partly because people on average can be very dumb, and they just get into the habit of not bothering to explain). I remember testing my dentist' patience a bit with questions that he responded to "You are asking third year level medical student classes"--I got nothing to do with medicine/medical fields (am an aerospace engineer), and it made me think "wow, 3rd year medical students aren't as bright as I thought then."

    Remember, you ARE the paying customer, and demand value for your hard earned cash.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    When my doctor heard that I eat a lot of steak and eggs he flipped out and told me I was going to die and have a heart attack.

    Then he tested my blood work during my checkup and said I had the most impressive blood work he's seen in a while.

    psh.

    Chicken, Turkey, Bacon, Seafood, Pork, Steak, eggs, cheese, hearty vegetables (no 'whites'), elimination of breads/pasta/rice/corn due to food allergies, had real butter, always use olive oil, only concentrated on berries - all contributed to my total cholesterol going from 252 down to 117. My A1c went from 11.2 down to 5.2

    I second the 'psh'
  • mikeyboy
    mikeyboy Posts: 1,057 Member
    If you boil it down, all the way to the bottom, somewhere there is the worst Doctor in the world. And someone has an appointment with that Doctor today! :sad:

    My GP saved my life twice. Do your reserch and find one who cares and will admit when it is time to call in an expert.
  • snuggllepuff
    snuggllepuff Posts: 34
    When my doctor heard that I eat a lot of steak and eggs he flipped out and told me I was going to die and have a heart attack.

    Then he tested my blood work during my checkup and said I had the most impressive blood work he's seen in a while.

    psh.

    Chicken, Turkey, Bacon, Seafood, Pork, Steak, eggs, cheese, hearty vegetables (no 'whites'), elimination of breads/pasta/rice/corn due to food allergies, had real butter, always use olive oil, only concentrated on berries - all contributed to my total cholesterol going from 252 down to 117. My A1c went from 11.2 down to 5.2

    I second the 'psh'

    THIS. All my carbs come from green veggies, brown rice, and steel cut oats. The protein is get is from animal products that most would frown upon. A lot of people will go out on a limb to try and tell you to stay away from the meats and eat your "whole grains."

    But in reality, what most people think are "healthy whole grains" are crappy, sugary, things with 30 healthy claims on the box. Special K? psh. Nutrigrain bars? psh. 100 calorie packs? psh.

    Huge omelette that most people would consider a "heart attack on a plate??" awesome choice.
  • Marll
    Marll Posts: 904 Member
    Agreed. You can eat all the "artery clogging" food you want when you cut out grains and sugar and your blood work will improve. This isn't just some anomoly either, been seen in pretty much anyone that eats that way. Doctors will still recommend grains and other foods that aren't contributing to health.

    I also cringe when I see doctors give advice to diabetics and their recommendations include 100s of grams of carbohydrates a day that is just contributing to their condition.

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