Top 10 Reasons to Run Away From a Doctor

Clearly, there are doctors who should not perform the science and art of medicine. And medicine is a science and an art because doctors need to balance information from research and their fields of expertise and the art of applying this knowledge to help their patients.

Recently I wrote about Five Quick Tips for Choosing a Doctor. Now here are my Top 10 quick reasons to run away from doctors. I have experienced all of these scenarios, some multiple times. Here, then, are my Top 10 signs that you need to put on your running shoes:

1. Citing one dizzying statistic after another, trying to impress you and make you feel stupid.

2. Having a cheat sheet from the Internet and reading from that sheet during an appointment.

3. Bringing up the removal of organs that are not up for discussion....or removal.

4. Telling you that if you don't choose his/her treatment, that mortal harm will come to you. He/she tries to frighten you into submission.

5. Maligning his/her colleagues and taking offense if you want a colleague's opinion.

6. Blaming you for not following his/her advice.

7. Interrogating you for why you didn't follow his/her advice.

8. Trying to decide your medical destiny rather than act as your advisor when you are choosing your own medical destiny.

9. Playing God by predicting what will happen to you. The truth is, nobody knows the outcomes for sure.

10. Pressuring you to make decisions too quickly for your comfort.

Beth L. Gainer is a professional writer and has published an essay on her breast cancer experience in the anthology Voices of Breast Cancer by LaChance Publishing. She teaches writing and literature at Robert Morris College in the Chicago area. She can be contacted at bethlgainer@gmail.com and gainercallingtheshots@gmail.com.