Alysiak, your comments are right on the money (excuse the pun). There are good doctors, but there are bad ones, too, who are motivated by the almighty dollar. As a doctor myself, I have seen this firsthand.
I believe it is harder to find good doctors today for the same reason it is hard for me to find good office employees, who are honest, hardworking, and care for those around them. Many in our society today are more focused on their own interests than they are on caring for others. We see this in the Enron scandal, as well as in many other recent events. The cynicism of our society and the lack of selfless standards in our culture contribute to this problem. To quote C. S. Lewis, "We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst."
I believe that doctors as a group are ahead of much of the rest of society. The training process we go through tends to inculcate excellence and self-sacrifice. I discuss this process in my book, Navigating the Medical Maze. Unfortunately, no process gets rid of all the bad apples.
I think the best way to deal with this problem is to do what you have done. We have to be skeptical, and we have to pay attention to clues of dishonesty. We should also be attentive to clues of excellence and selflessness.
In reality, I believe the most common problem is not bad doctors, who are just out for money, but mediocre doctors, who are not thorough, or who do not communicate as they should. When you find a good doctor, as you have, hang onto her, and let her help you find good doctors in other specialties when you need them.
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Alysiak, your comments are right on the money (excuse the pun). There are good doctors, but there are bad ones, too, who are motivated by the almighty dollar. As a doctor myself, I have seen this firsthand.
I believe it is harder to find good doctors today for the same reason it is hard for me to find good office employees, who are honest, hardworking, and care for those around them. Many in our society today are more focused on their own interests than they are on caring for others. We see this in the Enron scandal, as well as in many other recent events. The cynicism of our society and the lack of selfless standards in our culture contribute to this problem. To quote C. S. Lewis, "We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst."
I believe that doctors as a group are ahead of much of the rest of society. The training process we go through tends to inculcate excellence and self-sacrifice. I discuss this process in my book, Navigating the Medical Maze. Unfortunately, no process gets rid of all the bad apples.
I think the best way to deal with this problem is to do what you have done. We have to be skeptical, and we have to pay attention to clues of dishonesty. We should also be attentive to clues of excellence and selflessness.
In reality, I believe the most common problem is not bad doctors, who are just out for money, but mediocre doctors, who are not thorough, or who do not communicate as they should. When you find a good doctor, as you have, hang onto her, and let her help you find good doctors in other specialties when you need them.
June 7, 2008 - 6:56pmThis Comment
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