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

10 things to know about your doctor that will get you better care

Dawn Sears, MD & Kim Downey, PT
Physician
November 29, 2023
Share
Tweet
Share

During a recent conversation with Dr. Dawn Sears, I mentioned that I was working on a presentation I wish to give locally, speaking on “How caring for your doctor gets you better care.”

Our discussion revealed some important insights all patients should be aware of, which we share here:

1. Let the pilot fly the plane. Passengers generally don’t walk onto an airplane and start complaining to the pilot about their seat assignment, the price of the ticket, or how their luggage was lost six years ago. We understand that the pilot’s job is to fly the plane, with different people being charged with the other tasks.

Physicians should not be held responsible for the entirety of patients’ health care experiences. Perhaps it’s a remnant of days gone by when physicians actually owned and ran their practices. Now, well over 50 percent of physicians have become “employees,” and their job is to provide physician care. Physicians are part of a team, with each member having narrowly defined roles.

ACTION: Talk to your physician about the actual medical issue that brings you to see them that day.

2. The average physician panel is 2,000 to 4,000 patients. The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville has 4,000 seats. Every day, a single physician is expected to be available for all of their patients’ individual needs and requests. When a patient sends three “urgent” requests for a prescription they ran out of yesterday, it creates a situation of “lack of planning on your part should not constitute an emergency on the physician’s part.”

ACTION: Please plan ahead. Make a single request if needed and allow several days before reaching out again unless it’s truly urgent.

3. Realize that physicians and all health care workers come in all varieties. Patients will regularly encounter women physicians and male nurses. Women and physicians of color are often incorrectly assumed to be non-physicians. As a female physician, Dr. Sears is constantly asked: “Are you the REAL doctor?” “When will the doctor be here?” When physicians have to justify and defend their role, it wastes valuable time and creates a barrier between the patient and their physician.

ACTION: Simply ask the health care worker to clarify their role whenever you aren’t sure, as opposed to making assumptions.

4. Recognize that physicians are not AI robots! They have needs. They go home at night. They need to eat, sleep, and use the restroom. Their children get sick. They take vacations. They, in turn, will provide you with personalized health care, appreciating you as an individual, not a “diagnosis.”

ACTION: Acknowledge that physicians are human too, with human needs and wants.

5. Know that physicians are likely the most highly trained individuals you’ll encounter in any given week. They complete four years of undergraduate education, frequently majoring in biology or chemistry. All physicians must pass organic chemistry and physics and take a high-stakes all-day exam to prove it prior to entry into medical school. All physicians then go through four years of medical school, averaging 30 hours of classwork every semester. Many rarely see friends and family for years, even prior to residency. Then, physicians go through residency, sometimes followed by a fellowship, typically lasting three to eight years, working 80-hour weeks, being on call most holidays and many nights per week, to fine-tune their skills before becoming an attending. Attending physicians have had over 20,000 hours of clinical experience.

ACTION: When you see your physician, know that they have a high level of experience; don’t be quick to discount their advice or suggestions.

ADVERTISEMENT

6. Patients are not airplanes. Every human is different and will react differently to treatment. Some people experience extensive rashes or life-threatening complications after a bee sting, while others simply pull out the stinger and go about their day. Every treatment has potential risks and side effects. Speak with your physician to make the best decisions together.

ACTION: Don’t expect your physician to have a crystal ball or to know things unless you tell them. Whenever you visit a doctor, bring a list of your current medications and diagnoses, as well as prior surgeries and allergies.

7. Like a plane or a car, your body needs regular maintenance. When patients ignore their bodies, not providing good nutrition, active movement, or don’t avoid harmful things, a physician can’t be expected to “fix” them. Patients who acknowledge their role in disease and their role in healing have the best outcomes.

ACTION: Don’t expect miracles; expect to do some work. Look to your physician to guide you toward health and healing.

8. Ongoing medical advances are mind-blowing. New medications and therapies are released daily. However, life expectancy in the U.S. is not climbing. Life is 100 percent fatal. Historically, the greatest amounts of medical resources are utilized in the last year of life. “Can” and “should” are not the same. “More” is not always better. These are truths in health care, especially in hospital settings. AND praying for a miracle is understandable.

ACTION: Have realistic conversations with your physician and family members while you are able to speak for yourself, to ensure your wishes are honored.

9. Not all medical records are shared. A physician doesn’t know if you took a quick trip to your sister’s house and experienced a gallbladder attack requiring surgery. Both patients and physicians must work TOGETHER to keep records accurate and up-to-date. Simply dropping a car off at your mechanic without explaining the issue(s) you are having will likely result in a basic oil change, not solve the underlying problem(s).

ACTION: Take responsibility to partner with your physicians.

10. Everyone deserves kindness. A simple, “Thank you for all you are doing for me!” goes much further than a box of donuts.

ACTION: Consider sending a “Happy New Year!” card to each of your physicians. Write a thank you note to them, letting them know that you’re aware many physicians have left medical practice over the past couple of years (over 10 percent!), that you genuinely appreciate them, and that you’re glad they are still providing outstanding health care to you and your community.

Kim Downey is a physical therapist. Dawn Sears is a gastroenterologist and can be reached on Twitter @GutGirlMD, YouTube, and at GutGirlMD Consulting.

Prev

Can generative artificial intelligence help clinicians better manage patient messages?

November 29, 2023 Kevin 0
…
Next

Efficient staffing partners for health systems

November 29, 2023 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Gastroenterology, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Can generative artificial intelligence help clinicians better manage patient messages?
Next Post >
Efficient staffing partners for health systems

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Dawn Sears, MD & Kim Downey, PT

  • True stories of doctors reclaiming their humanity in a system that challenges it

    Alae Kawam, DO & Kim Downey, PT & Nicole Solomos, DO
  • Health workers deserve care too: How to protect their mental health

    Corey Feist, JD, MBA & Kim Downey, PT
  • Love, empathy, and the triangle of exhaustion: Why humanity must come first

    Kim Downey, PT & Nicole Perrotte, MD

Related Posts

  • More physician responsibility for patient care

    Michael R. McGuire
  • How social media can help or hurt your health care career

    Health eCareers
  • The health care system will cause its own physician shortage

    Advait Suvarnakar and Aashka Suvarnakar
  • Osler and the doctor-patient relationship

    Leonard Wang
  • The triad of health care: patient, nurse, physician

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Female physician burnout and its impact on patient care

    Raya Iqbal

More in Physician

  • Why health care can’t survive on no-fail missions alone

    Wendy Schofer, MD
  • The unspoken contract between doctors and patients explained

    Matthew G. Checketts, DO
  • The truth in medicine: Why connection matters most

    Ryan Nadelson, MD
  • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

    Tom Phan, MD
  • Why “the best physicians” risk burnout and isolation

    Scott Abramson, MD
  • Why real medicine is more than quick labels

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • How federal actions threaten vaccine policy and trust

      American College of Physicians | Conditions
    • What street medicine taught me about healing

      Alina Kang | Education
    • Are we repeating the statin playbook with lipoprotein(a)?

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • 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
    • A physician employment agreement term that often tricks physicians

      Dennis Hursh, Esq | Finance
    • Why taxing remittances harms families and global health care

      Dalia Saha, MD | Finance
  • Recent Posts

    • Why health care can’t survive on no-fail missions alone

      Wendy Schofer, MD | Physician
    • An addiction physician’s warning about America’s next public health crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Gen Z’s DIY approach to health care

      Amanda Heidemann, MD | Education
    • What street medicine taught me about healing

      Alina Kang | Education
    • Smart asset protection strategies every doctor needs

      Paul Morton, CFP | Finance
    • The silent cost of choosing personalization over privacy in health care

      Dr. Giriraj Tosh Purohit | Tech

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 2 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

    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • How federal actions threaten vaccine policy and trust

      American College of Physicians | Conditions
    • What street medicine taught me about healing

      Alina Kang | Education
    • Are we repeating the statin playbook with lipoprotein(a)?

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • 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
    • A physician employment agreement term that often tricks physicians

      Dennis Hursh, Esq | Finance
    • Why taxing remittances harms families and global health care

      Dalia Saha, MD | Finance
  • Recent Posts

    • Why health care can’t survive on no-fail missions alone

      Wendy Schofer, MD | Physician
    • An addiction physician’s warning about America’s next public health crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Gen Z’s DIY approach to health care

      Amanda Heidemann, MD | Education
    • What street medicine taught me about healing

      Alina Kang | Education
    • Smart asset protection strategies every doctor needs

      Paul Morton, CFP | Finance
    • The silent cost of choosing personalization over privacy in health care

      Dr. Giriraj Tosh Purohit | Tech

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

10 things to know about your doctor that will get you better care
2 comments

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

Loading Comments...