Friday 17 May 2013

No, I don't feel like playing Doctor Doctor


So, I was raised in a medical family - HWOSWMBO is a doctor and SWMBO is a retired nurse. So I have a pretty good idea of how doctors are supposed to interact with patients.

I have to say, most of the doctors I've dealt with in Gauteng are either rude, dismissive, arrogant or lazy. A few years back I had a (LADY MOMENT ALERT) Pap smear. The doctor made the entire procedure rather uncomfortable by being abrupt and unfriendly. A week later, he called with the results, and before I could ask any questions, he hung up. Guess who I never went back to?

Last year, I visited a dermatologist about a minor skin condition. She didn't even examine me, just sat across the desk from me, and prescribed some antibiotics and a cream. Oh, and it was apparently caused by stress. What stress? At my previous job, I was super stressed - just ask Antisocial Husband. No rash at all. Also, got charged R500 for a 15 minute consult - I'm in the wrong friggin business!

A good doctor will make you feel at ease, take the time to answer your questions and explain everything to you.

If you're visiting a doctor, and they're being an arrogant douche, stand your ground and demand the service that you're paying for. Or better yet, just don't go back to them, and don't recommend them to anyone if you can help it.

Some of the stories told to me by friends about how a doctor treated them would make HWOSWMBO go mental. He's super heavy on bedside manner, and has no time for doctors who think they're God. But then again, he's a skeptic, so I suppose he wouldn't like that....

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