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Why are doctors seemingly so incompetent?
Disclaimer: I respect doctors highly. The title is not literal, it's directed at the several I've seen.
I've rarely had a successful doctors appointment. They either don't look into anything thoroughly, tell me to live with it or fob me off. Here's some things I've been to them about:
- I was curious about spots on my foreskin, which were obviously fordyce spots. The doctor told me it was a fungal infection.
- The same doctor told me nothing could help flat feet, and when I suggested insoles he was like "oh yes that could work"
- I went to one doctor about my tight foreskin, he said a circumcision is the only option after looking at it when flaccid. It's mild and only tight when erect; circumcision is a last resort. Stretching techniques and steroid cream are viable treatment options, so why tell me I needed an operation? I went to another and she said it will fix itself without looking at it. I'm nearly 19.
- I have had a constant post-nasal drip for over 2 years which is annoying and always feels like I have a mild cold, in addition to it ruining my voice (I love to sing so obviously wanted it checked out). I was told by another doctor to live with it. It's typically a sign of allergies, it would have been nice to receive advice on that.
- I have acne scars on my face and back, I brought this up with yet another doctor AND a dermatologist, and they both said absolutely nothing could help scarring. Not laser treatment, not dermabrasion, chemical peels, subscision, fillers or any of the other many treatments effective on different types of scarring.
- I'm chronically tired and always feel mildly short of breath and get out of breath walking up the stairs, but two different doctors kept saying I'm fit and healthy. I didn't even have a physical. One of the basic things doctors should do, especially if always out of breath and tired.
- When my Mum took me to a doctor regarding chest pains which seemed to happen when swimming he mentioned asthma, but did nothing about it. A casual "it sounds like it could be asthma" - I'm no expert but something was wrong there too...
- I've been suffering from what has been diagnosed as depression since 2008, I've seen a counsellor, a psychiatrist and had my meds altered and changed a few times with absolutely no improvement. This one may not be incompetent doctors but surely they would have looked for other causes as my symptoms were unexplainable...
Fair enough if I went to one and they made a common error, but every time I go to the doctors I feel I may as well have booked an appointment with a carpet cleaner. It has forced me to try and find out what's wrong with me myself which leads people to think I'm OCD or something.
Would anyone else lose faith in doctors if all they had was disappointing appointments? And do you agree these are bad experiences?
I've rarely had a successful doctors appointment. They either don't look into anything thoroughly, tell me to live with it or fob me off. Here's some things I've been to them about:
- I was curious about spots on my foreskin, which were obviously fordyce spots. The doctor told me it was a fungal infection.
- The same doctor told me nothing could help flat feet, and when I suggested insoles he was like "oh yes that could work"
- I went to one doctor about my tight foreskin, he said a circumcision is the only option after looking at it when flaccid. It's mild and only tight when erect; circumcision is a last resort. Stretching techniques and steroid cream are viable treatment options, so why tell me I needed an operation? I went to another and she said it will fix itself without looking at it. I'm nearly 19.
- I have had a constant post-nasal drip for over 2 years which is annoying and always feels like I have a mild cold, in addition to it ruining my voice (I love to sing so obviously wanted it checked out). I was told by another doctor to live with it. It's typically a sign of allergies, it would have been nice to receive advice on that.
- I have acne scars on my face and back, I brought this up with yet another doctor AND a dermatologist, and they both said absolutely nothing could help scarring. Not laser treatment, not dermabrasion, chemical peels, subscision, fillers or any of the other many treatments effective on different types of scarring.
- I'm chronically tired and always feel mildly short of breath and get out of breath walking up the stairs, but two different doctors kept saying I'm fit and healthy. I didn't even have a physical. One of the basic things doctors should do, especially if always out of breath and tired.
- When my Mum took me to a doctor regarding chest pains which seemed to happen when swimming he mentioned asthma, but did nothing about it. A casual "it sounds like it could be asthma" - I'm no expert but something was wrong there too...
- I've been suffering from what has been diagnosed as depression since 2008, I've seen a counsellor, a psychiatrist and had my meds altered and changed a few times with absolutely no improvement. This one may not be incompetent doctors but surely they would have looked for other causes as my symptoms were unexplainable...
Fair enough if I went to one and they made a common error, but every time I go to the doctors I feel I may as well have booked an appointment with a carpet cleaner. It has forced me to try and find out what's wrong with me myself which leads people to think I'm OCD or something.
Would anyone else lose faith in doctors if all they had was disappointing appointments? And do you agree these are bad experiences?
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a lot of doctors are incompetent.
Luckily, Ive had doctors that are very good and passionate about what they do. I was scared to change doctors when i moved to uni because i would lose my doctor at home and he is brilliant.
however, ive now moved to uni and theres 2 doctors at the surgery who i definitely trust what theyre doing and theyre both really lovely.
Diagnosing cancer is ridiculous- i reckon half the death rates could be avoided if doctors referred and did their jobs properly. My Mum passed away of womb cancer and apparently it takes on average 3 visits to the doctor before they think its significant enough to refer you- by which time its normally too late.
Luckily, Ive had doctors that are very good and passionate about what they do. I was scared to change doctors when i moved to uni because i would lose my doctor at home and he is brilliant.
however, ive now moved to uni and theres 2 doctors at the surgery who i definitely trust what theyre doing and theyre both really lovely.
Diagnosing cancer is ridiculous- i reckon half the death rates could be avoided if doctors referred and did their jobs properly. My Mum passed away of womb cancer and apparently it takes on average 3 visits to the doctor before they think its significant enough to refer you- by which time its normally too late.
I'm amazed by how often you go. what sort of yearspan is this over?
Guys the way I see it, doctors may be experts but they're not god/mind readers
They're going to do what's in your best interest. Having that in mind you really do need to help them make a diagnosis. Everyone Is different so it is pretty complicated to work out what is the exact problem.
Whenever I go to the doctors, I do a little bit of research beforehand. THEN I explain some of my information on what I think it is and help the doctor. It does help them....
They only have 10 mins to speak to you, its hardly enough time to make a real accurate diagnosis... so yeah, tell them more about it, get to the point...tell them what you think It is rsther then have them guessing...inform them of treatments etc
Ps I'm talking about GPs
hope It helps!!
They're going to do what's in your best interest. Having that in mind you really do need to help them make a diagnosis. Everyone Is different so it is pretty complicated to work out what is the exact problem.
Whenever I go to the doctors, I do a little bit of research beforehand. THEN I explain some of my information on what I think it is and help the doctor. It does help them....
They only have 10 mins to speak to you, its hardly enough time to make a real accurate diagnosis... so yeah, tell them more about it, get to the point...tell them what you think It is rsther then have them guessing...inform them of treatments etc
Ps I'm talking about GPs
hope It helps!!My experience of doctors missing a severe reaction to a medication for a year landed me in hospital for 3 weeks and nearly killed me...
Probably because you keep getting your nob out to them?
To be honest I don't know why they are so incompetent.
After moving to uni I had to change, and the new surgery is pretty ****ty.
I had been in pain for about a year before they finally figured out what was wrong. They kept telling me I couldn't have endometriosis, even though I had all the symptoms for it - because of my age.
Finally because nothing else was working they did surgery, but this is after months of appointments, me researching, them ignoring/being pissed about me researching/them telling me I couldn't be in that much pain if I am at the doctors (FYI, if you have to choose between severe pain and no help, or severe pain and possibly getting help, you pick the latter).
Guess what? I have endometriosis. If they had accepted that it was possible then I would have been closer to treatment (still haven't found the right treatment, this is like three months on from the surgery). Many women I know took them 10 years to get diagnosed with Endometriosis, because there is some kind of 'general knowledge' that only older women get it. Yeah, thats because it takes you 10 years to diagnose it.
Oh and the best bit is, endometriosis is there from birth, why would you need to be older to have it?!
I genuinely think it is hard to get a good doctor these days, the amount of crappy ones I have seen, and then don't get me started on the waiting lists. They rigged the waiting lists, lied to me about when I would be put on the waiting list, and I had to kick up **** in order to get the surgery when they told me I would.
Sorry this turned into a big rant, I just have a huge bee in my bonnet about the NHS and their treatment of patients atm, I am obviously just going by my experience.
TL;DR
Basically, I agree, they are generally crap. At least in my experience.
After moving to uni I had to change, and the new surgery is pretty ****ty.
I had been in pain for about a year before they finally figured out what was wrong. They kept telling me I couldn't have endometriosis, even though I had all the symptoms for it - because of my age.
Finally because nothing else was working they did surgery, but this is after months of appointments, me researching, them ignoring/being pissed about me researching/them telling me I couldn't be in that much pain if I am at the doctors (FYI, if you have to choose between severe pain and no help, or severe pain and possibly getting help, you pick the latter).
Guess what? I have endometriosis. If they had accepted that it was possible then I would have been closer to treatment (still haven't found the right treatment, this is like three months on from the surgery). Many women I know took them 10 years to get diagnosed with Endometriosis, because there is some kind of 'general knowledge' that only older women get it. Yeah, thats because it takes you 10 years to diagnose it.
Oh and the best bit is, endometriosis is there from birth, why would you need to be older to have it?!
I genuinely think it is hard to get a good doctor these days, the amount of crappy ones I have seen, and then don't get me started on the waiting lists. They rigged the waiting lists, lied to me about when I would be put on the waiting list, and I had to kick up **** in order to get the surgery when they told me I would.
Sorry this turned into a big rant, I just have a huge bee in my bonnet about the NHS and their treatment of patients atm, I am obviously just going by my experience.
TL;DR
Basically, I agree, they are generally crap. At least in my experience.
(edited 11 years ago)
Earlier this year (In January) my mum had severe stomach pains, and on we called the doctor in, he diagnosed it at the time as just a nasty stomach bug (despite her having a ruptured bowel two years ago due to a twisted hernia), andjust gave antibiotics and left.
3 days later she was in hospital with multiple organ failure, due to having a blockage in the intestines that had led to the bowel splitting again, and dumping it's waste in her body, allowing her blood to pick up the waste and transport it to her whol body (full body sepsis, is the term, i think). the poison had been in her body for at least 4 days (the organs having started failing on the 4th day)
My mum was in a coma for about 9 days, and the doctors were very suprised at how she survived the night, and has made a full (slow) recovery.
The doctor who mis-diagnosed my mum though, do i feel angry at him? No, he did his job, he listened to what the problem was and gave the standard procedure, I do wish he'd taken a blood sample though, it wouldn't have taken one minute and could have saved everyone a lot of hassle, and i thought it would have been necessary, due to her previous problem, but other than that, the doctor did his job imo.
3 days later she was in hospital with multiple organ failure, due to having a blockage in the intestines that had led to the bowel splitting again, and dumping it's waste in her body, allowing her blood to pick up the waste and transport it to her whol body (full body sepsis, is the term, i think). the poison had been in her body for at least 4 days (the organs having started failing on the 4th day)
My mum was in a coma for about 9 days, and the doctors were very suprised at how she survived the night, and has made a full (slow) recovery.
The doctor who mis-diagnosed my mum though, do i feel angry at him? No, he did his job, he listened to what the problem was and gave the standard procedure, I do wish he'd taken a blood sample though, it wouldn't have taken one minute and could have saved everyone a lot of hassle, and i thought it would have been necessary, due to her previous problem, but other than that, the doctor did his job imo.
How often do you go to the doctor?!
And if they think it's asthma they WILL do something about it. Mine did, after listening to me breathing where there was clearly something wrong.
And if they think it's asthma they WILL do something about it. Mine did, after listening to me breathing where there was clearly something wrong.
WOw, you've had a lot of ailments over the years......
Original post by kog
Earlier this year (In January) my mum had severe stomach pains, and on we called the doctor in, he diagnosed it at the time as just a nasty stomach bug (despite her having a ruptured bowel two years ago due to a twisted hernia), andjust gave antibiotics and left.
3 days later she was in hospital with multiple organ failure, due to having a blockage in the intestines that had led to the bowel splitting again, and dumping it's waste in her body, allowing her blood to pick up the waste and transport it to her whol body (full body sepsis, is the term, i think). the poison had been in her body for at least 4 days (the organs having started failing on the 4th day)
My mum was in a coma for about 9 days, and the doctors were very suprised at how she survived the night, and has made a full (slow) recovery.
The doctor who mis-diagnosed my mum though, do i feel angry at him? No, he did his job, he listened to what the problem was and gave the standard procedure, I do wish he'd taken a blood sample though, it wouldn't have taken one minute and could have saved everyone a lot of hassle, and i thought it would have been necessary, due to her previous problem, but other than that, the doctor did his job imo.
3 days later she was in hospital with multiple organ failure, due to having a blockage in the intestines that had led to the bowel splitting again, and dumping it's waste in her body, allowing her blood to pick up the waste and transport it to her whol body (full body sepsis, is the term, i think). the poison had been in her body for at least 4 days (the organs having started failing on the 4th day)
My mum was in a coma for about 9 days, and the doctors were very suprised at how she survived the night, and has made a full (slow) recovery.
The doctor who mis-diagnosed my mum though, do i feel angry at him? No, he did his job, he listened to what the problem was and gave the standard procedure, I do wish he'd taken a blood sample though, it wouldn't have taken one minute and could have saved everyone a lot of hassle, and i thought it would have been necessary, due to her previous problem, but other than that, the doctor did his job imo.
You confuse me, 'other than the fact he didn't do the simple but important things that he should have done given her medical history, he did his job'?
It is that kind of incompetence that kills people. If she had a medical history that meant he should have done a blood test, and he didn't, then he didn't do his job properly?
I feel obliged to stick up for Doctors, as I've got a lot to thank mine for. I think unless it's a very common problem that you have then you're way better off seeing a specialist in that area. I've had Eczema all my life and I've had the same Doctor all my life and he has always given me great advice and I've always trusted him, my skin got out of hand though about a year ago and as he's not a skin specialist he didn't really know what to do, so he referred me to a dermatologist. The first time I saw her she said that if she wasn't a specialist she would've just sent me to hospital as it had gotten that bad but because she had seen it all before she knew what to do. I've seen her every couple of weeks since February and quite frankly she's been brilliant. Every time I see her she will end up spending almost half an hour with me and suggesting different things, when I told her I had gotten 4A's for the January exams she almost jumped for joy because she knew how bad I was when I did my exams.
If you have a genuine problem then in my experience Doctors will always do what they can to help you. Don't forget that they have a strict budget and I'm sure they aren't allowed to send everybody they see for scans, I wish this wasn't the case but I believe it is right now.
If you have a genuine problem then in my experience Doctors will always do what they can to help you. Don't forget that they have a strict budget and I'm sure they aren't allowed to send everybody they see for scans, I wish this wasn't the case but I believe it is right now.
Original post by AlmostChicGeek
You confuse me, 'other than the fact he didn't do the simple but important things that he should have done given her medical history, he did his job'?
It is that kind of incompetence that kills people. If she had a medical history that meant he should have done a blood test, and he didn't, then he didn't do his job properly?
It is that kind of incompetence that kills people. If she had a medical history that meant he should have done a blood test, and he didn't, then he didn't do his job properly?
The last time she also had poisoning, not quite as bad, though, it was picked up on quite quickly. I don't know what procedure doctors are given, it would make sense to me, that if someone had had a case of toxins in the blood, to take a sample, but the Doctor is our regular, and he's been brilliant over the years (from helping with getting to grips with having a sister with cerebral palsy, to providing transport to get my dad to hospital to have toe amputated :P), I certainly don't think the doctor is incompetent, and that is why I don't hold a gruge against him.
Mistakes happen, unfortunately mistakes in a profession such as Doctor, aren't all that good, but the Doctor was covered, my mother had complained about stomach pains (no lower abdominal pains, like last time (this time the poison had dumped in front of the stomach, not around the lower intestine)), and that she was off her food and constipated, thus was diagnosed with a stomach bug.
I still have utter faith in the NHS, if people don't like them, they have the option to go private.
Original post by Idle
You have to consider that there are so many variables to do with the human body and the amount of illnesses, diseases and conditions is massive, a GP is not an expert but has a broad knowledge of most and so occasionally they are going to make mistakes.
Agreed. A few times I have gone to my GP and said "I think I have this" and explained why. They've then agreed and done whatever has been needed to be done.
I remember going one time with a stomach problem and apparently, I'd told the GP that I had a cold.
I actually had excess stomach acid.A few have said they have no idea what's wrong and have either said to come in and see the other GP or I've been sent to a specialist.
I saw a student doctor 5 months ago and he said that he's not sure what's meant to happened. He then phoned someone later and then phoned me to explain what happens next.
Its really dependent on the DR like in all professions you get the good and the bad. Unfortunately you normally only hear about the bad ones! Some I have met are clinically dangerous like saying to me I had normal allergy results and when I asked for the numbers went o yeh you have an allergic reaction to peanuts since Id ended up swelling up the last time I ate somethings that I thought may have had peanuts in I was a little bit miffed but fingers crossed thats the minority I have met. Maybe you are just really unlucky with the drs you see
Original post by kog
The last time she also had poisoning, not quite as bad, though, it was picked up on quite quickly. I don't know what procedure doctors are given, it would make sense to me, that if someone had had a case of toxins in the blood, to take a sample, but the Doctor is our regular, and he's been brilliant over the years (from helping with getting to grips with having a sister with cerebral palsy, to providing transport to get my dad to hospital to have toe amputated :P), I certainly don't think the doctor is incompetent, and that is why I don't hold a gruge against him.
Mistakes happen, unfortunately mistakes in a profession such as Doctor, aren't all that good, but the Doctor was covered, my mother had complained about stomach pains (no lower abdominal pains, like last time (this time the poison had dumped in front of the stomach, not around the lower intestine)), and that she was off her food and constipated, thus was diagnosed with a stomach bug.
I still have utter faith in the NHS, if people don't like them, they have the option to go private.
Mistakes happen, unfortunately mistakes in a profession such as Doctor, aren't all that good, but the Doctor was covered, my mother had complained about stomach pains (no lower abdominal pains, like last time (this time the poison had dumped in front of the stomach, not around the lower intestine)), and that she was off her food and constipated, thus was diagnosed with a stomach bug.
I still have utter faith in the NHS, if people don't like them, they have the option to go private.
Pretty big mistake I would say, and such a simple one. Still, good on you I suppose, although I still question it a bit seen as how your mum was in a coma.
I almost went private - gave them time to sort it out and rectify their treatment of me first however. In my area it has been discovered that they are fixing the waiting list, so it isn't just me with this problem.
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