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Someone who just avoids eye contact may have Asperger's.
The doc with his eye on the computer screen is a victim of a government who insists that he use an electronic medical record in order to be paid and that the record be completed before the patient leaves the office. He's not any happier with the situation than the patient is.
Regarding suing doctors or anybody else for that matter. You can sue anybody you want to...it's the winning that is hard.
Most law firms will take a percentage-usually 33% of any winning but they ask you to make a good faith deposit up front and you have to sign a contract to pay for any costs of the litigation which can be astronomical especially if you go to trial. The patient can be left with very little even if it seems like the award is huge. So by the time you pay for all the experts, the paralegal, the paper, copy costs, travel and housing of experts, etc you aren't coming up very much ahead.
It used to be it was recommended to get a second opinion for surgery but now I'm thinking it should be for even taking meds. I know this would be economically impossible for most but it is scary to read stories like this. And i don't doubt it. I almost lost my life 20 years ago to extremely ignorant misdiagnosis. Remember...not every doctor is worthy of our respect or attention and half of them graduated in the bottom half of their class. That doesn't necessarily mean they are bad doctors but I would certainly rather go to the docs who paid enough attention or were smart enough to finish at the top.
Have any of you heard of sueing a doctor who did no harm only because the patient didnt listen to him? In my case, the first cardiologist I saw did no exam, no history taking, no testing, no listening, no looking at my records. Just told me to go home and exercise. He was well known in his field and one of the founding docs of his clinic. My history was such that I was at risk, which is why my family doc sent me there.
Only because I didnt listen and went to another cardiologist, was hospitalized immediately and ended up having a bypass the next morning, did I live. It was 3.5 years ago.
Never though about sueing because the guy looked like he was about to retire and I needed to focus on my own health. I see now that the doc is still in business!!! He should NOT be practicing medicine!!!
What damages are you going to sue for? You weren't injured, you incurred no pain or injury.
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzy_q2010
In this situation, I would quietly make an appointment with one of the other docs in the clinic and explain what happened. Doing it in person would be best. A letter might end up on the wrong desk.
I once knew a very good doctor who said that he hoped he had the wisdom to retire before someone told him he had to do so. The cardiologist you saw has unfortunately reached the point where his colleagues are going to have to make that decision for him.
This is great advice. This helps to get other doctors to start watching him more closely so hopefully no one is injured by this physician's incompetence.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ebbe
You would be surprised at the admission stats at some medical schools; some will accept GPAs of 3.0 which I think is pretty low at any undergraduate institution. The science GPA can be even worse and still get an acceptance.
Can you cite your sources for this information. I think you will find that very few people get into a US medical school with a 3.0 GPA.
As they say, you should go to a doctor's appt as educated as possible. Talk to your doctor, make sure he/she understands the reason for your visit and discuss the results and how they fit with the original diagnosis. Stay on top of your health and any issues that arise. Watch carefully for any changes; doctors can help the best when they have the best information given to them by thier patients.
You would be surprised at the admission stats at some medical schools; some will accept GPAs of 3.0 which I think is pretty low at any undergraduate institution. The science GPA can be even worse and still get an acceptance.
They might accept low GPAs because: (1) The MCAT score was good, which is a good baseline. For all you know, your doctor had a 4.0 GPA from a very easy school while studying sociology and my doctor had a 3.0 from a very difficult school while studying astrophysics. Numbers do not tell an entire story. (2) The person might have had a really awful year (I know I did!) while in college and hey, sometimes grades suffer. It doesn't mean you're an idiot. (3) The person made a marked improvement, whether as school went on and/or maybe they went back to school and cleaned some things up. (Some schools have post-bacc programs for people like this.)
My concern would not be the grades upon entering medical school but rather, did they pass their exams while in medical school and then subsequently any other licensing exams. If you can't hack it in medical school, and you fail classes, they aren't keeping you there very long...
To be fair, a person could pass everything with flying colors and he or she could be an awful doctor. Maybe not on paper but grades/school/etc. doesn't tell you everything.
there are some schools overseas where rejected usa applicants go. Be on the look out for American doctors who went to one of those overseas schools. That may not be fair but these doctors often times had serious problems which kept them out of US schools. I'm not talking about foreign nationals who attended overseas schools. that is to be expected.
there are some schools overseas where rejected usa applicants go. Be on the look out for American doctors who went to one of those overseas schools. That may not be fair but these doctors often times had serious problems which kept them out of US schools. I'm not talking about foreign nationals who attended overseas schools. that is to be expected.
My understanding is that those doctors have to pass a special test to practice in the USA and it has a high failure rate.
Those who read my posts know that there are any number of things that I fault about the medical establishment. However, one of those things is not the quality of physicians. Physician quality in the USA is fine. I simply think its costing us all too much. Good doctors may plenty of misdiagnoses too. Much of it is not the result of negligence. Its simply the nature of a difficult process.
there are some schools overseas where rejected usa applicants go. Be on the look out for American doctors who went to one of those overseas schools. That may not be fair but these doctors often times had serious problems which kept them out of US schools. I'm not talking about foreign nationals who attended overseas schools. that is to be expected.
My understanding is that those doctors have to pass a special test to practice in the USA and it has a high failure rate. There is something called the Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). After testing, the educational credentials of these individuals are carefully examined. Only those who test well and have good credentials are allowed to become physicians.
Those who read my posts know that there are any number of things that I fault about the medical establishment. However, one of those things is not the quality of physicians. Physician quality in the USA is fine. I simply think its costing us all too much. Good doctors make plenty of misdiagnoses too. Much of it is not the result of negligence. Its simply the nature of a difficult process.
There is a learning curve even for the best new doctors. I have heard the month when new resident physicians come to a hospital can be a dangerous time for patients.
Last edited by markg91359; 04-19-2014 at 07:11 AM..
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misdiagnosis
