The Doctor Might Not Know it All

Health is a subject everyone cares about. What's the joke? "I prefer to view the flowers from the top down than the root up."

I have learned over the years that health is something you have to handle personally. No one should ever abrogate this to another person; especially not to a doctor. No, I am not one of those nuts that wants to sink all the doctors to the bottom of the ocean with the lawyers. I just believe that each person should be knowledgeable about his/her medical condition and about any medical treatment that is suggested to him/her. Many people have let the doctor take total control only to be treated with an outdated method or even have the wrong organ removed. There is nothing wrong with asking your doctor questions and if he/she objects to you getting a second opinion, you need to run (not walk)to a new doctor immediately. Never "settle" for your medical treatment. If your doctor does not treat you like your health is important to him; it probably isn't. Doctor's are people, too, They have the same feelings that each of us have and he/she also has the same faults. Doctors study for a long period of time. They have to learn a lot of different things about each part of the body. There is no way each doctor can remember ALL of the things they are taught. They have to continue to study. They have to look things up. They don't all have photographic memories to recall everything in an instant. Doctors have to take continuing education classes to keep up with new treatments, new classifications of drugs and of disease. Things change continually in medicine and the doctor has to work hard to keep up.

You, as a patient, have a right to know about your doctor. You should know where he/she went to medical school, did his/her internship and residencies. You should know which areas of medicine he/she chose for his/her specialty. What school did he/she choose for this part of his/her education?

Did your doctor come from another country? If so, you can probably have even more confidence in him/her because even if he/she has been a practicing doctor in his/her country he will likely begin again as a resident here in the United States where he will work through our medical schools and hospitals to become certified to our specifications. It depends on which country the doctor is from and what his/he specialty is on how much time must be spent in reeducation.

Doctor's don't have it easy. They have to go to school for a long period of time and a lot is expected of them when they finish. The problem comes when he/she begins to think he/she knows everything and can learn no more. Then he/she begins to overlook the patient's feelings and right to know all about his/her treatment.

Some things have changed in the past fifteen or so years. At one time the patient could not get a copy of his/her own file. There was no way for a patient to know what the doctor actually thought was wrong (or right) with him/her. It was kept from the patient at all costs. In order to get your information, you would have to get a court order. Of course, the doctor would be glad to send it to another doctor. It was a closed society. Now a patient is entitled to see his/her file. This prevents the doctor from making snide remarks in the file that should never have been then to begin with. Someone finally realized that the information actually was property of the patient.

As a patient you must familiarize yourself with your doctor's credentials. Find out if he/she has any actions against him/her and the outcome of them. Then familiarize yourself with what ever the doctor says is your medical problem. Then learn about your medications. Find out the treatments other doctors are doing for the same problem and do not be afraid to ask your doctor about them if they interest you.

Then learn about alternative methods of treatment that could help you. It is easy enough not to discover whether or not an alternative method is quackery. Many reputable medical clinics use alternative medical treatments. Don't be afraid to learn. Watch shows on television where the doctors discuss alternative medicine. Get newsletters from companies such as Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, John's Hopkins. School yourself about your body and conditions and possible treatments and cures. Don't let someone else make your medical decisions without having a say.