Some doctors are morons.

[N801BH]

Ahhh, he thinks he's the smartest person in the state, and that 'you people' are beneath him. As long as he insulates himself from reality, he can keep up the pretense. but somewhere, sometime, he's going to coem face to face with the turth, and it will kick him in the nuts like he's never been kicked before.

Yup...

Problem is... Some innocent patient will die during the process...

And you can bet your ass all other doctors at that hospital will try and cover his ass..... In fact, some have started that action here......

 

[MAKG1]

Wow, you guys have some truly astounding psychic powers.

I'm getting vertigo from all the jumping to conclusions and wild sweeping presumptions.

The guy had a poor bedside manner from a few third hand reports. No one here knows anything about substance abuse and even those who work directly with that doctor are unlikely to know what he thinks about Mississipi residents.

Guys, take stock of what you really know, and save the fiction for a writing forum.

 

[Doggtyred]

And I get reminded how powerful the "C" word is.. Just interviewing my patients, asking them if they've HAD cancer in the past gives them pause.. especially if it can possibly be a factor in their current presenting problem..

 

[Jumpmaster]

Well, I have a son who is a board certified orthopedic surgeon serving our county in the U.S. Army and he is certainly no moron. That said, some of his classmates in medical school (at least one that became an ER doc) and at least one of the residents in his program might qualify. Makes you wonder how they get admitted to medical school or into a residency, especially when you realized both require interviews. Morons interviewing morons or is that these folks are very "book smart" but lack enough common sense to come in out of the rain, and lack even minimal people skills.

 

[wsuffa]

For those that do not have good health insurance, an ER visit can indeed result in severe fiscal injury!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Sometimes even if you have insurance, too.

 

[Gary F]

Quote:
Originally Posted by bartmc
Aparrently there was another incident I was unaware of. To make a long story short he told my mother that if she'd pay attention, he wouldn't have to repeat himself. My sister went back and spoke with the nurses and there seems to be an issue with this Dr. "Smartass" is the technical term that was used. He's European and perhaps doesn't understand rural MS etiquette.






Apparently the nurses there are aware of this doctors shortfalls.... People can cover for doctors all they want , but the first line of cooperation to remedy bad doctors is for the NURSES to contact their supervisors. Altho the politics in any hospital usually frown on one of their own calling a spade a spade.....IMHO.

A nurse may or may not contact somebody. They are usually busy and probably don't have the time to deal with this and politics can also be an issue. The ER nurses may fear retribution or might be friendly with this physician. The Patient Representative is usually a senior nurse and it is his or her job to submit a report to the hospital administration. I'm just trying to help you understand how use the system most effectively.

 

[N801BH]

A nurse may or may not contact somebody. They are usually busy and probably don't have the time to deal with this and politics can also be an issue. The ER nurses may fear retribution or might be friendly with this physician. The Patient Representative is usually a senior nurse and it is his or her job to submit a report to the hospital administration. I'm just trying to help you understand how use the system most effectively.

Great insight into a deadly problem....

Just re- read what you wrote and you will see ....

You are defending a FLAWED system where patients DIE.. And doctors go home to eat dinner with their families.....

You are either part of the problem...... Or part of the solution..

I am not sure which...

 

[JOhnH]

While most; perhaps all, doctors are "bright", many of them are jerks. Defending them, regardless of the adjective used, is not helping. And I submit that anyone, regardless of how smart they are, that spoke to Bart's mother the way he described, is legitimately called a moron, ie, someone without the common sense to do their job appropriately.

Now I understand your position. I get offended when people gripe about veterinarians. But I realize and admit that many veterinarians suck.

I agree that some physicians are capable of doing a crummy job but it's a little harder to make the argument that they are no brighter than "news reporters or McDonalds employees". The last time I checked those persons were not required to take the MCAT or get by an admissions committee. It's still difficult to get accepted and complete medical training and all the tests required to get licensed.

There are a number of possible explanations for less than stellar performance by medical providers. ER docs are often overwhelmed with patients and the bureaucratic documentation overhead has been increasing. Emergency physicians must deal with anybody who shows up with any complaint. It's really hard to be a generalist where you are expected to be an expert on everything. Every now and then a real loser gets through the medical education gauntlet but I can't tell from the (biased) information provided this is the case here.

 

[AdamZ]

Bart, So sorry you mom had to deal with this. I can understand you and your family's anger. Doc should have thought before delivering that opinion in such a manner. Docs are like anyone else, lawyers, plumbers, IT guys etc. There are good ones and bad ones. I wish you mom a speedy recovery and freedom from pain.

 

[Florida Cracker]

My objection to modern medicine is simple.

Once upon a time, doctors took the time to find out ABOUT their patient, and OFTEN what they found out helped them diagnose the REAL problem.

Now too many doctors treat their calling like the people walking through the door are nothing more than refrigerators on an assembly line, needing a screw put in, or a door attached, (which is the new wave of Rx instead practicing medicine, and get 'em out) of instead of treating the whole person.

 

[docmirror]

There's a serious lack of holistic approach in the US these days. It's all about the money, and not one wants to put in the time or effort to treat the person, just the complaint. It bugs the heck out of me the de-personalization of human interaction in modern medicine.

Hope she is doing better, and makes a recovery. There should be a patient advocate at most any hospital. Also, the state medical board always has a ombudsman or advocate worth contacting.

OBTW, the 'fiscal' vs 'physical' is not a spelling fault, nor is it a pun. It's actually a malaprop. The use of a word which has a similar sound, but not the correct meaning for the sentence. i.e. 'I thought it was real, but was just a pigment of my imagination.' Or; 'There's a bathroom on the right'. No disrespect intended, just correcting a correction.

 

[magyarflyer]

My objection to modern medicine is simple.

Once upon a time, doctors took the time to find out ABOUT their patient, and OFTEN what they found out helped them diagnose the REAL problem.

Now too many doctors treat their calling like the people walking through the door are nothing more than refrigerators on an assembly line, needing a screw put in, or a door attached, (which is the new wave of Rx instead practicing medicine, and get 'em out) of instead of treating the whole person.

once upon a time there were doctors and patients, then insurance companies came, then lawyers came in, then instead of caring for patients, doctors provided a service. The science of medicine has become a service industry where you get what you pay for. Compassion is not a common virtue in ER docs who are under pressure all the time to come with answers and avoid litigation. Feel sorry for the patient and the way she was treated but from there to generalize to all docs is unfair. I am still trying to find an honest car mechanic so there you go. And if you believe that medicine is going down the tube wait for the new generation of docs, poorly trained, underworked (by the new regulations), very well rested but inexperienced and on top underpaid. Guess what care you are going to receive?
After watching the new wave of recently graduated surgeons trying to perform difficult operations and performing poorly, I ask patients whether they prefer a rested, freshly graduated surgeon versus a tired, old but capable balding ready to retire one.

 

[poadeleted21]

She's doing better. Can do minimal walking with a walker. Can't put any pressure on her left leg. At least she can get out of bed. Hasn't taken a Percocet all day, though she says they make her feel bad and don't much help with the nerve pain. Only had one really bad spasm today. The doc just sent her home with a cocktail of pills and no request to follow up. Gonna try to find a 2nd opinion tomorrow. She has no idea if she's supposed to be exercising or resting. Doesn't know if it's going to clear up in a week or require surgery.

We had a chuckle at her cousin who had back problems who told her to not worry about taking the pain pills, said she had been taking them for 9 years and wasn't addicted

 

[Gary F]

My objection to modern medicine is simple.

Once upon a time, doctors took the time to find out ABOUT their patient, and OFTEN what they found out helped them diagnose the REAL problem.

Now too many doctors treat their calling like the people walking through the door are nothing more than refrigerators on an assembly line, needing a screw put in, or a door attached, (which is the new wave of Rx instead practicing medicine, and get 'em out) of instead of treating the whole person.

Things are a lot more complicated than you realize.

Great insight into a deadly problem....

Just re- read what you wrote and you will see ....

You are defending a FLAWED system where patients DIE.. And doctors go home to eat dinner with their families.....

You are either part of the problem...... Or part of the solution..

I am not sure which...

You gotta be kidding. Can you elaborate? Who died here? I missed the part with the egregious malpractice. It seemed more like crummy bedside manner and I doubt if there was significant preventable harm. In any case if you want to make a complaint I'm telling you it is better if you notify the person designated to bring the problem to the attention of the hospital administration and not expect an overworked nurse to do somebody else's job. I don't think you guys have a clue how things actually work.

 

[Gary F]

There's a serious lack of holistic approach in the US these days. It's all about the money, and not one wants to put in the time or effort to treat the person, just the complaint. It bugs the heck out of me the de-personalization of human interaction in modern medicine.

You are condemming all physicians based on a single incident?

Hope she is doing better, and makes a recovery.

I think we all do.

There should be a patient advocate at most any hospital. Also, the state medical board always has a ombudsman or advocate worth contacting.

This is where you are going to get the most bang for your complaint although the State Board is more concerned about death or significant physical harm than a misguided opinion and crummy bedside manner.

 

[Gary F]

once upon a time there were doctors and patients, then insurance companies came, then lawyers came in, then instead of caring for patients, doctors provided a service. The science of medicine has become a service industry where you get what you pay for. Compassion is not a common virtue in ER docs who are under pressure all the time to come with answers and avoid litigation. Feel sorry for the patient and the way she was treated but from there to generalize to all docs is unfair. I am still trying to find an honest car mechanic so there you go. And if you believe that medicine is going down the tube wait for the new generation of docs, poorly trained, underworked (by the new regulations), very well rested but inexperienced and on top underpaid. Guess what care you are going to receive?
After watching the new wave of recently graduated surgeons trying to perform difficult operations and performing poorly, I ask patients whether they prefer a rested, freshly graduated surgeon versus a tired, old but capable balding ready to retire one.

This post shows more understanding than many in this thread. A big problem is that government regulations mandating "quality measures" and more documentation has increased substantially while reimbursements have been falling. The bureaucratic overhead has increased steadily over the years leaving less time to practice quality medicine.

 

[poadeleted21]

Things are a lot more complicated than you realize.

You gotta be kidding. Can you elaborate? Who died here? I missed the part with the egregious malpractice. It seemed more like crummy bedside manner and I doubt if there was significant preventable harm. In any case if you want to make a complaint I'm telling you it is better if you notify the person designated to bring the problem to the attention of the hospital administration and not expect an overworked nurse to do somebody else's job. I don't think you guys have a clue how things actually work.

That was my father at the same hospital. They sent him home after an hour or not knowing what the hell was wrong with him. Patted him on the back and said "We're about to get you out of here". A persistant nurse wouldn't let him leave and insisted on more tests. He stayed in the hostpital for 2 days while they insisted he'd had a mild stroke and should go home, the nurse didn't buy it... She was a family friend. They finally figured out that he had an ascending aortic anyuresim. The doc said "get him out of here" the instant they realized what it was. So they ambulanced him to Memphis. I flew in from Montana and arrived the same time he did. I came 2000+ miles on Delta in the amount of time it took the ambulance to get him 80 miles to Baptist hospital in Memphis. (This is why I only fly Delta when I have a choice and have to fly, they didn't even charge me for the flight) Met the Ambulance driver who was LIVID that they had put him on an ambulance and said in his condition they should have ordered an air lift. He was in much much much much worse shape after the ambulance ride. The heart surgeon didn't have many nice things to say about how the local folks handled the situation. The ambulance driver said to call her as a witness if it went to court. He died on the operating table. While i know that an ascending aortic anyuresum isn't good, I believe that incompetence and apathy played a large role in his odds for survival.

After he passed away, I went back the next day and asked for his medical records. They were snippy and wouldn't hand them over. Even though I had the death certificate and all the necessary paperwork to retrieve them. They told me they wouldn't give them to me until I told them why I needed them. After about 4 F-bombs and my lawyers name, with the newspapers phone number in hand. they handed them over. Probate lawyer wanted to press it with his medical malpractice partner, but we elected not to.

 

[docmirror]

You are condemming all physicians based on a single incident?

Sorry. The industry has shown a decided turn for the worse vis-a-vis treating the person, and not just the malady.

Better?

 

[poadeleted21]

Sorry. The industry has shown a decided turn for the worse vis-a-vis treating the person, and not just the malady.

Better?

Well, my mothers cancer dr was awesome. He did most of his work for free at St Judes. After she was 5 years cancer free, he told her to call or come by any time and he'd check her out if she got nervous from not having the monthly reassurance that the cancer wasn't back. She called a couple of times and he spoke with her.

 

[1600vw]

My father was on dialysis. He was doing good. he would get on his electric scooter and scooter down for this dialysis every other day. One day after about 4 in the evening he went at 8 am. I say to the wife something is wrong dad did not come home. It was not 5mins when the phone rang. It was the ER I needed to go to the hospital my dad had a stroke

When I get to the hospital the doctor walks in the room and says he did not have a stroke but that the center doing his dialysis pumped air through him or into his body. He did not live long after this. This was just a few years ago.

Not all doctors are morons. Just like not all members here are jerks. But I believe the two go hand in hand.

I will say it until I die, our health care should not be for profit.

 

[Gary F]

Sorry. The industry has shown a decided turn for the worse vis-a-vis treating the person, and not just the malady.

Better?

Treating the person as a whole is far preferable to treating just a particular organ system or symptom so I don't get your point.

If you are not happy with "the industry" then you get to blame the 800 lb gorilla named CMS that dictates the rules and micromanages the practice medicine with the force of law. Most private insurance companies follow in the footsteps of the government's mandates.

http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Regulations-and-Guidance.html

 

[JOhnH]

How would a not-for-profit healthcare system have helped your father?

My father was on dialysis. He was doing good. he would get on his electric scooter and scooter down for this dialysis every other day. One day after about 4 in the evening he went at 8 am. I say to the wife something is wrong dad did not come home. It was not 5mins when the phone rang. It was the ER I needed to go to the hospital my dad had a stroke

When I get to the hospital the doctor walks in the room and says he did not have a stroke but that the center doing his dialysis pumped air through him or into his body. He did not live long after this. This was just a few years ago.

Not all doctors are morons. Just like not all members here are jerks. But I believe the two go hand in hand.

I will say it until I die, our health care should not be for profit.

 

[Gary F]

That was my father at the same hospital. They sent him home after an hour or not knowing what the hell was wrong with him. Patted him on the back and said "We're about to get you out of here". A persistant nurse wouldn't let him leave and insisted on more tests. He stayed in the hostpital for 2 days while they insisted he'd had a mild stroke and should go home, the nurse didn't buy it... She was a family friend. They finally figured out that he had an ascending aortic anyuresim. The doc said "get him out of here" the instant they realized what it was. So they ambulanced him to Memphis. I flew in from Montana and arrived the same time he did. I came 2000+ miles on Delta in the amount of time it took the ambulance to get him 80 miles to Baptist hospital in Memphis. (This is why I only fly Delta when I have a choice and have to fly, they didn't even charge me for the flight) Met the Ambulance driver who was LIVID that they had put him on an ambulance and said in his condition they should have ordered an air lift. He was in much much much much worse shape after the ambulance ride. The heart surgeon didn't have many nice things to say about how the local folks handled the situation. The ambulance driver said to call her as a witness if it went to court. He died on the operating table. While i know that an ascending aortic anyuresum isn't good, I believe that incompetence and apathy played a large role in his odds for survival.

After he passed away, I went back the next day and asked for his medical records. They were snippy and wouldn't hand them over. Even though I had the death certificate and all the necessary paperwork to retrieve them. They told me they wouldn't give them to me until I told them why I needed them. After about 4 F-bombs and my lawyers name, with the newspapers phone number in hand. they handed them over. Probate lawyer wanted to press it with his medical malpractice partner, but we elected not to.

Why did they bring your mom to the same crummy hospital? Small rural hospitals (ironically often designated as Critical Access Hospitals) are often not staffed and equipped to deal with the bad stuff. One answer is telemedicine which permits specialists to the remote location.

I have been working on a project for years to improve the quality and safety of medicine while reducing the cost by applying systems engineering principles (Lean and Six Sigma) to the practice of medicine. The biggest problem is that medicine is being run by bureaucrats who don't like true innovation.

John Ritter also died from a ruptured aneurysm in spite of the fact he went to a (presumably) state of the art facility crawling with specialists in Burbank California. They can be easily confused with a heart attack and the mortality increases by the hour.

On September 11, 2003, Ritter fell ill while rehearsing for 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. He began sweating profusely, vomiting and complained of having chest pains. He was taken across the street to the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.[3] Physicians misdiagnosed Ritter and treated him for a heart attack, however his condition worsened.[12] Physicians then diagnosed Ritter with an aortic dissection. Ritter died during surgery to repair the dissection at 10:48 p.m, six days before his 55th birthday.[13][14] A private funeral was held on September 15 in Los Angeles after which Ritter was interred at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.[15][16]
In 2008, Yasbeck filed a $67 million wrongful death lawsuit against radiologist Dr. Matthew Lotysch and cardiologist Dr. Joseph Lee. Yasbeck accused Lee, who treated Ritter on the day of his death, of misdiagnosing his condition as a heart attack,[17]and Lotysch, who had given him a full-body scan two years earlier, of failing at that time to detect an enlargement of Ritter's aorta.[17] In 2008, at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the jury concluded that the doctors who treated Ritter the day he died were not negligent and thus not responsible for his death.[18][19] According to court records, Ritter's family received more than $14 million in settlements, including $9.4 million from Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, where he died. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ritter

 

[Bill]

He's European and perhaps doesn't understand rural MS etiquette.

I had a European cardiologist, fired him. Pompous, arrogant, would not listen or answer questions. His way or the highway, I chose the highway.

I'm very happy with my new doc. Some limited research seems to indicate this behavior among European doctors, and eastern Europeans especially.

 

[poadeleted21]

I didn't take her back. A local clinic referred her to PT. Neither of which were the hospital in question. That's where things got bad. After that, the ambulance didn't ask for directions.

I'm well aware of John Ritter, I'm also aware that survival chances go down dramatically by the hour. I'm also aware that the hospital didn't have a damn clue what was wrong with him, wanted to chalk it up to a mild stroke and roll him out of the hospital.

Why did they bring your mom to the same crummy hospital? Small rural hospitals (ironically often designated as Critical Access Hospitals) are often not staffed and equipped to deal with the bad stuff. One answer is telemedicine which permits specialists to the remote location.

I have been working on a project for years to improve the quality and safety of medicine while reducing the cost by applying systems engineering principles (Lean and Six Sigma) to the practice of medicine. The biggest problem is that medicine is being run by bureaucrats who don't like true innovation.

John Ritter also died from a ruptured aneurysm in spite of the fact he went to a (presumably) state of the art facility crawling with specialists in Burbank California. They can be easily confused with a heart attack and the mortality increases by the hour.

On September 11, 2003, Ritter fell ill while rehearsing for 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. He began sweating profusely, vomiting and complained of having chest pains. He was taken across the street to the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.[3] Physicians misdiagnosed Ritter and treated him for a heart attack, however his condition worsened.[12] Physicians then diagnosed Ritter with an aortic dissection. Ritter died during surgery to repair the dissection at 10:48 p.m, six days before his 55th birthday.[13][14] A private funeral was held on September 15 in Los Angeles after which Ritter was interred at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.[15][16]
In 2008, Yasbeck filed a $67 million wrongful death lawsuit against radiologist Dr. Matthew Lotysch and cardiologist Dr. Joseph Lee. Yasbeck accused Lee, who treated Ritter on the day of his death, of misdiagnosing his condition as a heart attack,[17]and Lotysch, who had given him a full-body scan two years earlier, of failing at that time to detect an enlargement of Ritter's aorta.[17] In 2008, at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the jury concluded that the doctors who treated Ritter the day he died were not negligent and thus not responsible for his death.[18][19] According to court records, Ritter's family received more than $14 million in settlements, including $9.4 million from Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, where he died. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ritter

 

[docmirror]

Treating the person as a whole is far preferable to treating just a particular organ system or symptom so I don't get your point.

I avoid the medical system as much as possible so, I guess I can live with that.

 

[steingar]

As disparaging as I am about the medical profession, I have to admit with all the stuff that's happened to Mrs. Steingar over the years and what little has happened to yours truly I've little about which to complain. They've treated my better half very, very well, and she's never had much of a complaint. I can't think of anything bad that's ever been down to me, except perhaps the colonoscopy after which I couldn't eat for a week. That said, I doubt strongly my reaction was due to anyone doing anything wrong, everyone reacts differently to these things. The doctor was very sympathetic and prompt in reply, and besides, I lost some weight.

 

[1600vw]

How would a not-for-profit healthcare system have helped your father?

How would a Not-for -Profit not help every American? But I never said a Not- for- profit would have helped my dad. Inept is still inept. That was a training deal. Someone did not know ones job. Being this is a medical community, I could not do much about it. I myself thought someone should have been held liable for what happened to my Dad. No one cared. But this is another story.

Tony.

 

[1600vw]

I avoid the medical system as much as possible so, I guess I can live with that.

This is all well and good as long as you stay healthy. The day I ended up in the ER then in A Coma for a week, when I awoke that morning I never in my life thought by the time I would get to work that morning my life would be turned upside down. Pray you stay healthy.

Tony

 

[docmirror]

This is all well and good as long as you stay healthy. The day I ended up in the ER then in A Coma for a week, when I awoke that morning I never in my life thought by the time I would get to work that morning my life would be turned upside down. Pray you stay healthy.

Tony

Oh trust me, I've been an unwilling resident of hospitals on several occasions. I got out as fast as possible on each trip. The entire process is horrible. When it's over, it's not over because here come the bills. The bill system should be reported for RICO violations. I've seen so much crooked accounting to qualify for class II felonies and nothing is ever done.

 

[Gary F]

I just got back from work and fortunately everybody did well in spite of the rampant incompetence in my profession.

Does anybody care to speculate on what percentage of physicians would qualify as incompetent based on the expectations of those who have expressed a lack of confidence with healthcare as it exists in this country today? How should we define incompetence and malpractice? I believe that bedside manner is important but is not the sole factor for establishing competence or lack thereof.

I agree with anybody who believes that medical care is severely overpriced. There are ways to improve quality while reducing cost but they are incompatible with CMS requirements.

The practice of medicine has become much more difficult and frustrating due to government micromanagement which contributes substantially to physician burnout. Fried physicians tend to be much less effective and often unfriendly to patients.

I would like to see some constructive recommendations for fixing the problem. Those who believe that physicians should be willing to train for many years and work like dogs for average salary are going to find few takers.

Avoiding medical care works until it doesn't. If you sit at home with a heart attack you might survive only to become a "cardiac cripple". Those who avoid preventive medicine efforts might pay a steep price later in life.

I have had two bad experiences with the medical system, one involved my mother and the other myself. I might elaborate if I have the time. Both incidents would have likely resulted in premature death if I had not possessed medical knowledge that allowed me to intervene prior to disaster. I understand the concern of those who have had bad outcomes or near misses.

 

[docmirror]

why are you taking it so personally Gary? Everyone comes in for some grief eventually. Are you a good practitioner? If so - don't let it bug you. Just know that like teachers, there are good, average and bad out there, and you can't fix it, just be one of the good ones.

In July, I was on a long trip back east, and my MD called ME about an issue. I had no appt, no prev call from me, no indication that I wanted to hear from her, wasn't on medication from her office, but she called and asked a few questions. So - next month I get a bill for $265 for a phone consult. WTF? Hey - I didn't call you, you called me! Then you want me to pay for services I didn't request, didn't need, and you provided basically no benefit to my health? Well, eff that, you can stick your consult where the sun don't shine.

<Edit: And one more thing. I wouldn't mind the fee if I thought the call was needed, and the MD actually got $250 or so of the bill. But I am sure as the sun will rise tomorrow that by the time all the greedy greasy hands got done with the fee, she would only see about $100 or so of the billed fee. Just -- no, don't go there again.>

 

[wrbix]

I'm a physician and my wife is a nurse, and based on where we see Medicine has gone in the last three decades, all we can say is:
"We are terrified of the time when we reach the point of needing interventional medical care with this generation of care givers under this system"

 

[Lindberg]

To the OP:

I am glad to hear that your mom's spirits are up, and I hope her recovery is quick and complete.

To the doctor bashers:

So we want top-notch, never wrong, prompt, and perfect medical care provided for free by Doctors willing to work for less money than their less-ethical friends who went to law school. Oh, and we expect this service with a smile.

How many of you practice your vocation out of a love of your fellow man rather than for the money? I'd submit that given the commitment of time, talent, and treasure, the percentage of doctors doing it for non-pecuniary reasons is probably higher than most other professions, certainly my own. That said, when I really need a doctor, I put bedside manner way down on the list of qualifications.

 

[Gary F]

why are you taking it so personally Gary? Everyone comes in for some grief eventually. Are you a good practitioner? If so - don't let it bug you. Just know that like teachers, there are good, average and bad out there, and you can't fix it, just be one of the good ones.

In July, I was on a long trip back east, and my MD called ME about an issue. I had no appt, no prev call from me, no indication that I wanted to hear from her, wasn't on medication from her office, but she called and asked a few questions. So - next month I get a bill for $265 for a phone consult. WTF? Hey - I didn't call you, you called me! Then you want me to pay for services I didn't request, didn't need, and you provided basically no benefit to my health? Well, eff that, you can stick your consult where the sun don't shine.

<Edit: And one more thing. I wouldn't mind the fee if I thought the call was needed, and the MD actually got $250 or so of the bill. But I am sure as the sun will rise tomorrow that by the time all the greedy greasy hands got done with the fee, she would only see about $100 or so of the billed fee. Just -- no, don't go there again.>

I don't take it personally. I think that those who frequent this forum in general and thread in particular could gain some useful knowledge and a better understanding of the system if they would quit bashing medicine long enough to think about what I'm trying to explain.

Your phone consult was a crock. My nurse and I get called by patients and other medical providers all the time and we never bill a dime. There are times when we should have billed but it's not worth the hassle to me.

 

[mrkbbd]

I'm amazed your doctors bedside manner was that bad. According to the CME discussions, the #1 way to avoid a malpractice suit is good bedside manners - it is all about whether the patient likes you or not, not about getting the diagnosis right.

I hope things are going better now -

 

[poadeleted21]

I went to the local hamburger joint today. Told the guy that runs it about my mom. made no mention of her dr/hospital visits. The first thing he said was "I hope you didn't take her 'out here' and pointed to the local hospital, they're not where they need to be."

 

[simtech]

I went to the local hamburger joint today. Told the guy that runs it about my mom. made no mention of her dr/hospital visits. The first thing he said was "I hope you didn't take her 'out here' and pointed to the local hospital, they're not where they need to be."

Hospital here in columbus or the one in amory?

 

[1600vw]

To the OP:

I am glad to hear that your mom's spirits are up, and I hope her recovery is quick and complete.

To the doctor bashers:

So we want top-notch, never wrong, prompt, and perfect medical care provided for free by Doctors willing to work for less money than their less-ethical friends who went to law school. Oh, and we expect this service with a smile.

How many of you practice your vocation out of a love of your fellow man rather than for the money? I'd submit that given the commitment of time, talent, and treasure, the percentage of doctors doing it for non-pecuniary reasons is probably higher than most other professions, certainly my own. That said, when I really need a doctor, I put bedside manner way down on the list of qualifications.

If this is what you believe, you are not as educated as you believe.

I want the record profits hospitals and the CEO of said hospitals get to go to things like: Research, training, pay raises for all staff from doctors down and staffing.

Not all doctors are Morons. The team who took care of me when I went in a coma was a top notch team. I had a very bad case of cellulitis. Hit me like a hammer within just a few hours. When I finally woke up after a week, the doctor was at the end of my bed standing there looking at me. He said if I would not have woke up that day my leg was coming off. They had it all marked in ink at the spot it was coming off. Right bellow the knee.

 

[Gary F]

I'm amazed your doctors bedside manner was that bad. According to the CME discussions, the #1 way to avoid a malpractice suit is good bedside manners - it is all about whether the patient likes you or not, not about getting the diagnosis right.

I hope things are going better now -

They would be happiest if they had a really good outcome and the physician had a good bedside manner. The current system places too much emphasis on chasing down diagnosis codes when they may not affect longevity or quality of life.

If this is what you believe, you are not as educated as you believe.

I want the record profits hospitals and the CEO of said hospitals get to go to things like: Research, training, pay raises for all staff from doctors down and staffing.

It seems like the VA hospital system would satisfy your criteria but I would not want to be a patient at most of those facilities. The money that goes to CEOs is a drop in the bucket and mismanagement can be very costly.