wow this is a heated topic i must say!!!now that ive got some opinions on dr let me share a little personal info...i started to have chest pains 3 years ago...i have had a ct scan..cardio stress test...holter monitor...mri...blood test..bone scan...even a mamogram (im a guy) and guess what...nothing is wrong but it still hurts like hell so i have seen 3 cardioologist...a thorassic surgeon and all results are nil.....so i say 1 doctor screwed up but 4 doctors screw up the same thing now pls tell me how compitant(sp) doctors are!!!!!!!

Originally posted by DeusEx
Indeed I would be, because as patients, when is the last time we've said anything really descriptive, aside from "It 'utz 'ere."? When is the last time anyone gave more than two or three symptoms? Pateitns need to be taught hwo to descibe their assorted paisn and afflictions to better help doctors.... because right now, we're not.

DE

DE,
I just don't know what you mean that people need to be taught how to describe one's symptoms. Spinal and MND patients, who
have no sensation in a certain percent of their body, know
something isn't right. Almost always, sweating and high blood pressure, probably a head-ache too.
check out autonomic dis-reflexia, or Hypereflexia

All i'm saying is, you are your own doctor, but if you have
to go see one, make your point because unless you know
the DR you are just another patient

[Edited on 18-1-2004 by sanctum]

[Edited on 18-1-2004 by sanctum]

Yes, I did make a compliant and spoke with the director of the hospital and the director of nurses. This was just a Bs session basically and nothing was done. the DR in question has been there forever and somehow owns some part of the hospital. Oddly enough the same exact thing happened to my stepson with the same doctor about five years ago.

thats a dodge dart on my avatar by the way...don't call it a ford ...thems fighting words

Wow a lot of interesting and even scary stories here.

I have to say my experience talking to others is that there is quite a variance in quality of doctors out there.

You have to shop around a lot to get a good doctor that you can trust.

The problem in Canada is that with a socialized health care system you are not allowed to just 'pick-up' and go where you like.

Originally posted by razorbackhater
Yes, I did make a compliant and spoke with the director of the hospital and the director of nurses. This was just a Bs session basically and nothing was done. the DR in question has been there forever and somehow owns some part of the hospital. Oddly enough the same exact thing happened to my stepson with the same doctor about five years ago.

thats a dodge dart on my avatar by the way...don't call it a ford ...thems fighting words

Yeah, it's pretty much the same deal 'down-under'.
There are good DR's around, but it's like finding a
needle in a haystack. I checked out the Dodge Dart,
and they were sold here in the 70's as a
Chrysler 'Pacer' only available as a 2 door.
245 cub inch slant 6 'HEMI'. My dad had a white one
with red pinstripes. Oh, and it had heaps of grunt. I
remember being in the front pass' seat goin' down
the freeway in the middle of the night, no cops
around then (his theory), and I was leaning over
staring at the speedo waiting to 'hit the ton'
My dads sense of humour and talking like a pilot
as we did the 'run' still makes us both crack-up.
I was about 13, and dad still wishes he had the car.
They are a valuable classic here

. . . made the mistake of bringing up this topic at a dinner party with a doctor there. BAD idea. People laughed it off, but I could tell that I hit a nerve. It has always been my contention that they don't call it practicing medicine for nothing. "Trial and error," is what I like to call it.

My wife got sick with the flu, or the cold, or something, and we took her in to a local doctor. After 300+ dollars, and a visit to a ear-nose-and-throat doctor, we finally got a diagnosis for something we already knew she had: sinus infection. The doctor treated it as a virus first, and when that didnt' work, he treated it as something else.

You know what ticks me off too? Many of them have this attitude that they are better than everyone else because of their doctor status. They think they know EVERYTHING, and that we can't possibly have any clue as to what is going on with our bodies, all the while insulting us.

BTW, Ear-nose-and-throat doctors, in my experience know far more about what they are doing than a regular practicioner when it comes to chest and head colds.

-P

Originally posted by postings
. . . made the mistake of bringing up this topic at a dinner party with a doctor there. BAD idea. People laughed it off, but I could tell that I hit a nerve. It has always been my contention that they don't call it practicing medicine for nothing. "Trial and error," is what I like to call it.

My wife got sick with the flu, or the cold, or something, and we took her in to a local doctor. After 300+ dollars, and a visit to a ear-nose-and-throat doctor, we finally got a diagnosis for something we already knew she had: sinus infection. The doctor treated it as a virus first, and when that didnt' work, he treated it as something else.

You know what ticks me off too? Many of them have this attitude that they are better than everyone else because of their doctor status. They think they know EVERYTHING, and that we can't possibly have any clue as to what is going on with our bodies, all the while insulting us.

BTW, Ear-nose-and-throat doctors, in my experience know far more about what they are doing than a regular practicioner when it comes to chest and head colds.

-P

I totally agree. GP's have an each way bet. A specialist is the
person to see.

total agreement on the better than thou satus which is why back to the original of why dont u tell the doctor your syptom...mabey cause they dont listen

If doctors knew what they were doing, why would they call thier work "practice"? Makes me nervous.

Well, I work for a pharmasutical company with about 50 doctors and pharmacists in my specific department and let me tell you that education does not equal intelligence. I have never met a group of people that are so arrogent and inept at what they do. They can prescribe dangerous medication for you, but can't work the fax machine. After working here, I no longer go to the doctors office.

As for the 'guess work' thing, I completely agree. Every single question that they are asked requires them to scamper for various medical books in search of case files.

Guesswork!

I was ejected from a moving vehicle then starflight took me to the hospital. The most severe injury was a broken (shattered) pinky. Despite having my finger x-rayed I was told that "it will heal on its own". That response didn't satisfy me so I went to a hand specialist. He was appalled to hear that I was told it would be fine. He said that I needed to go into surgery the very next day!

I understand that doctors don't have all the answers and they have their own specialties, but this was as simple as looking at an x-ray/twisted shattered finger and telling me that I need to consult someone for surgery.

I could go on and on about this topic.

One thing people tend to forget that medicine is an art as well as a science. Having been a nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit for over ten years you really come to realize this.

Understand that medicine is a practiced subject, a doctor is just practicing medicine, as the world mean (practice) thats what they do.