
What do I want in a doctor? (1964) - bookofjoe
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/09/what-do-i-want-in-doctor.html
======
throwayEngineer
It's important to stop calling them by the generic name doctors.

They are Physicians.

There are lots of doctors, but only one group has spent 300,000,000 dollars on
limiting competition and propping their own profession with exclusive
privileges.

That's Physicians!

------
hluska
Occasionally, I start to think I’ve left the grounds of mediocre and may even
be a good writer. Then, I read someone like Steinbeck and understand that I
have many decades of mediocrity ahead of me. This is a good thing...:)

~~~
MrTonyD
Steinbeck is amazing. He would recite his books as he wrote them - he believed
that words were meant to be spoken. He wrote for the spoken word rather than
the written word. I also saw a few pages of his revisions on one of his books
- he revised his "standard" sentences into "colorful" sentences. So his
writing was definitely a result of hard work and creativity - and in my mind
moves his writings into the realm of true art.

~~~
ohaideredevs
It's a bare minimum - try reading your paper/report/whatever aloud some time
and you will realize that it's the only effective way to proofread.

------
kolbe
He has much higher standards than me. I just want someone who has my health as
her top interest instead of bankrupting me.

------
User23
One neat trick I use to assess doctors is look at their legal history. These
records are all public, and your local court probably has them searchable
online[1]. I wouldn't avoid a doctor just because they've been sued, but a
bunch of malpractice suits are a bit of a red flag.

[1] [https://www.masslegalservices.org/content/how-look-court-
rec...](https://www.masslegalservices.org/content/how-look-court-records-
internet-links-online-access-records-other-states)

------
stuartbman
Primary care is so much about forming a lifelong relationship between doctor
and patient, finding a way for the patient to inject their own hopes, worries,
dreams feels so important, and beyond the proscribed tick boxes.

~~~
nradov
What you're looking for is a _therapist_.

My primary doctor is a nice person but she's a busy professional and I'm not
going to waste her time talking about my hopes and dreams. That stuff is
almost entirely irrelevant for most medical issues.

~~~
sp332
If a doctor doesn't know what outcome the patient is looking for, how are they
going to recommend a course of action?

 _1\. What is your understanding of where you are and of your illness?

2\. Your fears or worries for the future

3\. Your goals and priorities

4\. What outcomes are unacceptable to you? What are you willing to sacrifice
and not?

And later, 5\. What would a good day look like?_

[https://www.nextavenue.org/atul-gawandes-5-questions-ask-
lif...](https://www.nextavenue.org/atul-gawandes-5-questions-ask-lifes-end/)
(Just for an example)

~~~
sl1ck731
Unless your goals are physical in nature(I want to be able to check the mail
again or otherwise return to a level of mobility, become a body builder...etc)
I see very little benefit.

"I want to not die, and if I must, preferably at a later date." About sums it
up.

