Why is it so hard to find a doctor that actually cares about his/her patients?

Hi Nikkiwith, a very good discussion you opened here with :) And to answer your question, yes, I agree with most of what you've said. And I am fortunate enough to have a very caring doctor. He knows me since my teens (as I still have one and the same all this time until today), and he knows me through and through, and always provides me with the best of care. Here in The Netherlands each one has his own "home doctor", to whom you go when you get ill. From there, after examination(s) this doctor send you to specialists, to the hospital, or for exminations etc. The system works pretty well. If you are not pleased with your home doctor, you could request to be assigned to an other one, but as I said, mine is a very good one and I wouldn't ever want to change him for someone else. My problem is, he will retire within a few years and than i will be assigned to a new one, and if the new one will be of the same quality is unknown. I hope for the best however, as I am used to the best of care while needing it. Thanks for a great discussion ;)

I have a fantastic doctor. He is the first doctor that actually listens to me. From the time you walk in the door you are referred to by your first name, and they actually remember you. He does not have a nurse, so you are with him as soon as you are called back. He draws the blood and everything. He will even do house calls! My son was sick a lot and he gave me his home number to call if anything was wrong or just to talk. He recently moved his office from about 15 minutes from my house to about 40 now, but I don't care. It is more than worth the trip.

Thats so sad, but unfortuntely it does happen. I think its to do with numbers...Luckily I ahve a doctor that takes the time to explain things and generally cares for his patients as individuals...I live in a little country town and think that could be the difference.

i feel for you nikkiwith.. you know what....just when i started to feel the same way with you, when my mom underwent an operation last year for gallstone, i met her doctors who really did cared for their patient. His clinic is already jampacked with patients and they all say the same thing about him, he is really a great doctor..and is always willing to help..we even said that he is one in million. there are doctor that cares too...but there are also whos after the money...and thats a fact...

maybe so.but in my doctors case it is not so. he will be very abusive if you ignored his advise.he is a very strict and very caring person. he used to give me free medicines when i visted him.extremely nice guy!but never tkes calls that is the problem with this fella.can make out very easily what is the actual problem.nice guy .

They get jaded after seeing too many patients. You would stop caring about patients too if you saw 100 different people every day with more or less the same problem. Doctors are taught NOT to care too much about patients, because they will become severely damaged if they care about every patient they see. The caring doctors don't usually make it... Doctors care about doing the job right - what more can you demand for the money they make? [Which, compared to the amount of training and talent you need to get and do the job, is not high at all]

Yes I know what you are saying, a lot of doctors seem to spend their days just writing out perscriptions, but at last I found a good doctor, a lady doctor and she is only relatively young and she always has time to listen and asks questions and works out the best way for the least cost, I feel lucky to have found her.

My mother in law's doctor genuinely cares about her, I think. He often goes out of his way to do extra things for her just to make things more comfortable for her. My family's doctor before he retired was very conscientious, as was his receptionist. He remembered things like our family medical history, and so would remind us of things that were specifically concerning us. If something went wrong in me, like when I was having a lot of ear problems, he double checked my siblings as well.

I know what you mean, my family goes to a family practice with several doctors in the group. There is one that I will NOT go to, nor do I like my family to see, he was pretty rude to me when I saw him on one visit. I did tell the office about it, now they have a note on my file so they don't offer him to me when I call. Everyone in the family has their favorite doctor that we go to see, and even though we only see them usually once a year, when they see me they act as though they recogonize me, and will say hello. A lot of doctors don't do that. I guess to answer your question, I feel that my doctor does care.

Hi nikki. The only reason that I can think of why it's hard for doctors to empathize with their patients, is that they can't let themselves feel. By doing that, they will be vulnerable for every pain, sorrow and tears that their patients go through. And by being vulnerable, they find it hard to remain focused on their work. I asked this old age question to a friend who's married to a doctor. And she said even if some doctors do want to be that caring with their patients, they are simply afraid. So, that's why most doctors don't call patients by their first name. But by the term "patient". And by always doing this, they disassociate themselves. I've had countless experience with those kind of doctors, too. Either they go through with a rushed check-up that results in a misdiagnosis or just like you said, they can sometimes kill a patient because of carelessness.

This is just because, most of them spend a lot to become a doctor. All those educational fees for UG, PG and other degrees go over their head. They are trying to get that money back as soon as possible. This is the reason, they care only about the money and not about the patient. The ones who care about patients are those who expect them to come back to their hospital. They are very rare as you said.

hi! u r right-doctor's profession was supposed to b a noble profession,but now its only a profession.doctors like any other professional ruthlesssly go about their professional duties without giving any human touches to it.thats where the patients who are human beings suffer.i feel as long as the doctor doesnt misdiagonise and kill a patient its OK!

hi1 u r right-doctor's profession was supposed to b a noble profession,but now its only a profession.doctors like any other professional ruthlesssly go about their professional duties without giving any human touches to it.thats where the patients who are human beings suffer.i feel as long as the doctor doesnt misdiagonise and kill a patient its OK!