The practice of seeking second opinions in medicine has a long history, dating back to ancient times. The concept is deeply rooted in the ethical and professional principles of medical practice.

In ancient Greece, Hippocrates, often considered the father of modern medicine, encouraged patients to seek second opinions. He believed that a different physician might have a different perspective or alternative treatment suggestions. This practice was considered a way to confirm a diagnosis, consider alternative treatments, or simply reassure a patient.

In the Middle Ages, second opinions became more formalized, especially in “teaching hospitals,” where cases were often discussed among multiple doctors. This practice was intended to reduce diagnostic errors and improve patient care.

The formalized practice of seeking second opinions grew in the 20th century, especially with the advent of more complex medical procedures and treatments. In some cases, insurance companies began to require second opinions before approving certain treatments or surgeries. This was done to ensure that the proposed treatment was medically necessary and appropriate.

However, second opinions have become like a runaway train—non-stop and off course. Insurance companies now require second opinions about proposed procedures, operations, medications, lab tests, and imaging studies, among others. The American Medical Association has targeted this drill—commonly known as “concurrent review” and “preauthorization”—for elimination along with other dubious and wasteful administrative practices.

The practice of seeking second opinions has become even more common due to increasing patient empowerment and the easy accessibility of medical information online. Patients often seek second opinions to feel more confident about their diagnosis and treatment plan.

Taken to the extreme, obtaining a second opinion can become an obsession, especially if a patient believes there is something really wrong with them and the doctor appears aloof or unconcerned. The term “doctor shopping” is used pejoratively to describe the practice of a patient requesting opinions and treatment from multiple physicians.

Doctor shopping can become dangerous when the patient visits multiple doctors to obtain prescriptions, often for controlled substances, without the doctors’ knowledge of each other. This is often done with the intent to misuse or abuse prescription drugs. Doctor shopping can lead to harmful drug interactions, overdose, and addiction, and it contributes to the larger issue of prescription drug abuse.

Doctor shopping may cause physicians to become the brunt of “second opinion” jokes. This is likely due to the fact that doctors view themselves as authorities in their field, and the idea of questioning or challenging their expertise can sometimes have a humorous element. The humor often lies in the difference between the first and second opinions, with the second one being absurdly different or unexpected. Here are a couple of well-known “second opinion” jokes:

1. A man goes to the doctor, and the doctor tells him, “I have bad news and worse news. The bad news is that you have 24 hours to live.” The man, shocked, asks, “What could be worse than that?” The doctor replies, “I’ve been trying to reach you since yesterday.”

2. A patient wasn’t feeling well and went to her doctor. After a thorough examination, the doctor said, “I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you are not a hypochondriac.”

Indeed, while walking through a cemetery one day, I saw the following inscription on a gravestone: “I told you I was sick.”

Henny Youngman (1906-1998), a famous British-born American comedian, is often linked to some of the most famous “second opinion” jokes in the field of medicine. He performed while playing short interludes on the violin between jokes. Here is a sample of his doctor jokes:

• “I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places.”
• “A doctor gave a man six months to live. The man couldn’t pay his bill, so he gave him another six months.”
• The doctor says, “You’ll live to be 60!” “I AM 60!” “See, what did I tell you?”
• The patient says, “Doctor, it hurts when I do this.” “Then don’t do that!”
• “Doctor, I have a ringing in my ears.” “Don’t answer!”
• “I told the doctor I think my wife has pneumonia. He said, ‘I think you’re right, but I’d like a second opinion. Bring her in so I can check.'”

Some audiences do not immediately catch on to the last joke. The humor here lies in the unexpected response from the doctor, who agrees with the husband’s diagnosis without having seen the patient, but still wants a second opinion—his own. The joke plays with the typical expectation that a second opinion would come from a different doctor. It is a classic example of Youngman’s quick wit and the kind of humor that made him a beloved figure in comedy, nicknamed the “King of the One-Liners.” (His best-known one-liner was “Take my wife … please.”)

Youngman loved to poke fun at psychiatrists. It seems that ridiculing psychiatrists has become a time-honored tradition couched in the fear, anxiety, or discomfort associated with mental health issues or the idea of discussing personal matters with a psychiatrist. A few of Youngman’s psychiatric jokes go like this:

• “A man goes to a psychiatrist. The doctor says, “You’re crazy” The man says, “I want a second opinion!” “OK, you’re ugly too!”
• A woman goes to a psychiatrist. “Nobody listens to me!” The doctor says, “Next!”
• A man walks into a psychiatrist’s office. “What do you do for a living?” “I’m an auto mechanic.” The psychiatrist remarks, “Get under the couch!”

One of my favorite Youngman jokes is this one: “This guy asked his doctor, ‘Will I be able to play the piano after my operation?’ And the doctor says, ‘Sure.’ And the guy says, ‘Funny, I couldn’t do it before.'” The last laugh is on the doctor. The humor highlights the all-too-common problem of miscommunication between doctors and patients.

Medical jokes, in general, and “second opinion” jokes, in particular, play on the unexpected. The humor comes from the surprising twist in the doctor’s opinion. It is important to remember that these are just jokes. In real medical practice, second opinions are taken very seriously as they can be crucial in ensuring the best care for patients.

Still, I hope these jokes brought a smile to your face.

Arthur Lazarus is a former Doximity Fellow, a member of the editorial board of the American Association for Physician Leadership, and an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. He is the author of several books on narrative medicine, including Medicine on Fire: A Narrative Travelogue and Narrative Medicine: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling through Essays.