Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

No one cares about the doctors

Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD
Patient
November 8, 2017
Share
Tweet
Share

I love my doctors.

I have an undiagnosable autoimmune disease. It’s mostly manageable, my lab work is perfect, and I rarely get sick. I get allergy shots and take blood pressure medication. I always have at least low level, mostly familiar, physical symptoms. Occasionally a new one appears. Sometimes it is scary.

I could have sued any or all of my doctors over the last decade-plus. I could be “livin’ large.” They haven’t figured out what is wrong with me. They made mistakes, which sometimes caused symptoms and certainly did not resolve my issues. It took several years to get me stabilized.

So why do I love my doctors? Why wouldn’t I sue them?

I could see that they were trying to help me. They told me that they were trying to help me. They coordinated with each other. They comforted me when I was distraught. They looked at my issues, flexibly, from all different angles. They consulted with other colleagues. They persisted. They never gave up. They cared. They have made my life livable.

I needed them, and I still do. I am so grateful to them.

This point of view is missing from the national conversation about health care. I interviewed 50 doctors for my book, and they told me all about it. Their compassion and dedication flow out of the pages. Yet, that doesn’t seem to matter or be heard. As one of them said, “No one cares about the doctors.”

Those of us who went to college remember the pre-med students. They were the ones who studied all the time. They took multiple difficult science courses, some of which were “make or break,” requiring an “A” to stay competitive. As one of my interviewees said, “Most people aren’t committed at such a young age.” It’s not like this magically changes after they complete medical school and residency. One telling interview item from my book was, “Please tell me about a typical day or week for you.” This produced astounding responses. The typical day for one doctor involved rounds at the hospital, seeing patients in the office, doing chores, making phone calls, checking messages and lab results, family calls, other doctor calls, then back to the hospital. One doctor told me “It’s 24/7.” Another one stated, “It’s not really a job. It’s your life.” And another said, “You give up and miss out on a lot.”

The pressure to perform and to be correct 100 percent of the time is beyond belief. I know that I couldn’t withstand it. “This society accepts no mistakes. It’s the only job where you cannot make a mistake”, said one doctor. “You are responsible for things that you cannot control.”, said another. And when I inquired about lawsuits, those of my interviewees who had them stated that although they emerged unscathed professionally, the “stress was horrible” or one felt “violated.” As a result, “Younger doctors are experts in defensive medicine, rather than the real issues.” While many of us are still under the impression that all doctors are rich, my interviewees reported declining salaries, trouble keeping their doors open, and of course, the overbearing presence of massive debt accrued from attending medical school.

How is any of this right? Does this make sense? It’s some combination of the “terrible twos” and adolescence. We are supposed to be a society of adults, who know that we are not the center of the universe, that sometimes we have to wait and be patient, and that we need see the perspectives of others. This is all part of normal development. Instead, we want what we want, and we want it now. And we want it to be perfect. When we don’t get it, we rebel and lash out. Sound familiar? This attitude applies to health care. So, look at it this way: one of the most important aspects of the health care crisis is that we have an ever-increasing doctor shortage. They are being driven out of practice. This is partially due to our developmental immaturity.

Is this what we want? I know that I don’t want it. How can we expect people to sacrifice and then work under the pressure that our doctors are working? And to top it off, to be ever caring and competent. Research shows that emotions, stress, pressure, mistreatment, disappointment, futility–call it what you will–all impact problem solving, critical thinking and performance. Should our doctors be expected to be superhuman in this regard as well? What do my doctors need besides training and clinical competence to help with my uncharted disease? In fact, what do doctors need to help any of us with anything? Well, they need to be able to think. Who could think under current circumstances? But we expect that, and in my opinion, we typically get it.

We all need to stop pretending that it doesn’t matter how we treat our doctors. As one of my interviewees said, “We are used as pawns in the system. No one cares about the doctors.” We, the patients, are the ones who pay the price for this callousness.” There was a social pact in place,” said one interviewee. “We provided care, and we had a comfortable life. That pact was broken. The deal was broken. So now there is a new generation with a new attitude: We will provide care when we want to provide care. 9 to 5 and no weekends.” If this isn’t what we want, we need to rethink how we treat our doctors and start caring about them again. We need to think and behave like adults and do what is best for all of us, including our doctors. This needs to be part of the national conversation about health care. Our lives depend on it.

Peggy A. Rothbaum is a psychologist and can be reached at her self-titled site, Dr. Peggy Rothbaum.  She is the author of I Have Been Talking with Your Doctor: Fifty doctors talk about the healthcare crisis and the doctor-patient relationship.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

ADVERTISEMENT

Prev

Psychological first aid can mitigate the effects of overwhelming trauma and loss

November 7, 2017 Kevin 1
…
Next

She sees difficult patients, but is a difficult patient herself

November 8, 2017 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Public Health & Policy, Rheumatology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Psychological first aid can mitigate the effects of overwhelming trauma and loss
Next Post >
She sees difficult patients, but is a difficult patient herself

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD

  • Why psychotherapy works and why psychotherapy fails

    Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD
  • Why real growth in psychotherapy takes time, courage, and teamwork

    Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD
  • How trauma, health care, and kindness are the keys to contagious change

    Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD

Related Posts

  • Doctors, listen up! You’ll be a patient soon.

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Can doctors see beyond a patient’s weight?

    Laura Fraser
  • Does an HMO hinder the efforts of concierge doctors to address patient needs?

    Kevin R.R. Williams
  • When doctors are right

    Sophia Zilber
  • Who says doctors don’t care?

    Cindy Thompson
  • Here are some things that patients wish doctors knew

    R. Lynn Barnett

More in Patient

  • AI’s role in streamlining colorectal cancer screening [PODCAST]

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • There’s no one to drive your patient home

    Denise Reich
  • Dying is a selfish business

    Nancie Wiseman Attwater
  • A story of a good death

    Carol Ewig
  • We are warriors: doctors and patients

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Patient care is not a spectator sport

    Jim Sholler
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • How hospitals can prepare for CMS’s new patient safety rule

      Kim Adelman, PhD | Conditions
    • How a doctor defied a hurricane to save a life

      Dharam Persaud-Sharma, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Why primary care needs better dermatology training

      Alex Siauw | Conditions
    • Guilty until proven innocent? My experience with a state medical board.

      Jeffrey Hatef, Jr., MD | Physician
    • Why physician strikes are a form of hospice

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why medical notes have become billing scripts instead of patient stories

      Sriman Swarup, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Conditions
    • Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives

      John Wei, MD | Physician
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • Confessions of a lipidologist in recovery: the infection we’ve ignored for 40 years

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Why leadership training in medicine needs to start with self-awareness

      Amelie Oshikoya, MD, MHA | Education
    • Federal shakeup of vaccine policy and the battle for public trust [PODCAST]

      American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why clinicians must lead health care tech innovation

      Kimberly Smith, RN | Tech
    • The truth about sun exposure: What dermatologists want you to know

      Shafat Hassan, MD, PhD, MPH | Conditions
    • Learning medicine in the age of AI: Why future doctors need digital fluency

      Kelly D. França | Education
    • How a South Asian nurse challenged stereotypes in health care

      Viksit Bali, RN | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 22 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • How hospitals can prepare for CMS’s new patient safety rule

      Kim Adelman, PhD | Conditions
    • How a doctor defied a hurricane to save a life

      Dharam Persaud-Sharma, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Why primary care needs better dermatology training

      Alex Siauw | Conditions
    • Guilty until proven innocent? My experience with a state medical board.

      Jeffrey Hatef, Jr., MD | Physician
    • Why physician strikes are a form of hospice

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why medical notes have become billing scripts instead of patient stories

      Sriman Swarup, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Conditions
    • Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives

      John Wei, MD | Physician
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • Confessions of a lipidologist in recovery: the infection we’ve ignored for 40 years

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Why leadership training in medicine needs to start with self-awareness

      Amelie Oshikoya, MD, MHA | Education
    • Federal shakeup of vaccine policy and the battle for public trust [PODCAST]

      American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why clinicians must lead health care tech innovation

      Kimberly Smith, RN | Tech
    • The truth about sun exposure: What dermatologists want you to know

      Shafat Hassan, MD, PhD, MPH | Conditions
    • Learning medicine in the age of AI: Why future doctors need digital fluency

      Kelly D. França | Education
    • How a South Asian nurse challenged stereotypes in health care

      Viksit Bali, RN | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

No one cares about the doctors
22 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...