From the article: How to Deal with an Arrogant Doctor
Sometimes we have no choice but to learn to deal with doctors who come across as arrogant or superior. Yet, we patients must still be able to ask the questions we need to ask, and get the answers we need, despite the unpleasant personality of Dr. Arrogant. Here are some stories and suggestions from empowered patients. Share Your Experience
never heard me
- SOME TIME AROUND LATE JAN I BEGAN HAVING PAINFUL SPASM THAT BEGAN BETWEEN MY SHOULDER BLADES AND A PAINFUL ELECTRICAL SHOCK WOULD GO DOWN MY LEFT ARM.THIS HAPPENED WHEN I COUGHED OR SNEEZED.A COUPLE DAYS LATER THE SPASMS AND SHOCKS WERE GOING DOWN BOTH ARMS.A FEW DAYS LATER AS I WAS GETTING OUT OF BED ONE MORNING I FOUND I WAS UNABLE TO STAND.MY LEGS HAD NO STRENGTH IN THEM AT ALL. AND WHEN TRYING TO WALK,THE LEFT FOOT KEPT TRYING TO COME DOWN ON THE TOP OF MY RIGHT FOOT.I WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY PAIN IN MY LEGS AT ALL.THEY WERE JUST TOTALLY WEAK. , I WENT TO THE BARSTOW HOSPITAL'S ER THIS WAS THE FIRST DOCTOR TO EXAMINE ME.I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH HIM IMMEDIATELY.THIS DOCTOR EXAMINED ME AND IMMEDIATLEY ORDERED A CT.HE PERFORMED STRENGTH TESTS ON MY LEGS ,FEET AND HANDS,AND ARMS.THE MOTOR EXAM FOR BOTH LEGS WERE 1+/5+. HE ORDERED BLOODWORK..HE TOLD ME IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO FOLLOW UP AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO CONTACT MY DR TO HAVE HIM REQUEST TO HAVE AN MRI DONE RIGHT AW
- —Guest KATHLEEN
Unethical and rude doctor
- I saw this doctor a few years ago but quit seeing him after during an office visit he asked me out on a date. I had to see him last week because my regular doctor was out. This doctor was very rude stated" we do not have time to chit-chat" but then he started talking about another patient. He wanted to do a blood test for high cholesterol but I am allergic to the meds so what use would a blood test do? Just more money for him. I am at a lose about what to do. The doctor I normally see has gotten to where he does not even listen to my heart. I know I need to find a new doctor but I am afraid they will not give me meds for fibromyalgia. The other doctor I saw did tell me lies and would not look at me while he was talking. My mother in law sees this doctor and is happy with him because he gives her the pain meds she asks for because she saw him in public very intoxicated.
- —Guest Janice
Mean Doctor
- I go to a doctor every month pain mangement. I was talking to him as he was writing and he said shut up i.m writing a script for narcotics what do i look like a machine. Dont come back if you misplace or do anything with the script the state will take away my licsense the state this and the state that nothing about my problems just the state..I do need to seek another doctor but i think this one owes me somekind of apology.. yeah right i was no good from the beginning of our doctor patient relationship thats the same thing he says each month also...he gave me a compliment the last time in his office he needs to take it back because i was a bad girl he keeps his scripts written in our folders for months I think he isnt all their thats why he told me off...i hate this guy and i even give him gifts for the holidays he can stick his pad and pencil up his ass he needs to be reported he sounds as if he is commiting a crime.
- —Guest Ronda
Arrogance Equals Danger
- Over and over I have met arrogant doctors and nurses who think they know my type one diabetes better than I do (never mind I have had this condition longer than a lot of them have been alive). This is dangerous as I have ended up in dka and in severe hypoglycemia while in their so-called care. For once I would love to find a doctor that admits I know better. I would respect them all the more for their humility and respect of ME. Haven't found such a doctor here in Portland, Oregon.
- —Guest Elea
THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ
- i went to see a podiatrist due to pain in my foot. I had previously went to urgent care with the same complaint. At urgent care, they did an xray which showed a foreign object in my foot. I went to see a podiatrist whom i shall refer to as the great and powerful OZ! Before even examining me or reviewing xrays, he insisted that there was nothing in my foot and he was most certainly sure that it must be the shoes i am wearing. When he asked me to point to where the pain is and i did, he miraculously found the smallest corn in that area known to man and chisled it off with some apparatus. He then asked me "to do something really crazy and point to where the pain is again" as if that macrocorn was the reason, and when i did. he came with his prepared chiches and isms such as "its easier to operate on your closet then on your foot" and other idiotic statements. He then humbled himself and performed, yes, performed an xray on my foot. Once he could see that there was indeed an object
- —Guest none
p't advocate for my wife
- My wife lost her memory caused by unnecessary medications,but her provider would not allow me in the examining room in order to ask questions that were on my mind. I have never met him!?!? B. Siehling
- —Guest bernard siehling
Abusive Neurologist
- My mother was seen by Dr. PK in February, 2009 following hospital-induced preventable anoxic injury. Her incorrectly down-size trach’ tube slipped out of her airway during nurse-turning, causing Mom sever oxygen-deprivation for nearly 15 minutes, and she became comatose. Dr. PK prescribed large does of Depacon, claiming it would “wake her up,” and ordered a CAT scan and an EEG. Dr. PK stated that my mother would be on this drug “for the rest of her life.” This drug did not “wake her up". I instructed her regular doctor to d/c Depacon, and then my mother began to wake up. This drug compromised my Mother’s kidneys, leading to her Wrongful Death. Dr. PK's bedside manner was rude and abusive. She said, "Mom outlived her lifespan, put her in hospice.” The nurse said that Dr. Klein spoke inappropriately. When pressed for information regarding therapies etc, Dr. PK said, “There’s nothing, now I have to leave and do something else.”
- —actorveronica
No reason to get feisty...
- Somewhere online is a forum for doctors to leave their stories about annoying, demanding, whiny and rude patients. I wonder how many of those patients have posted here? 64? Arrongance is one thing. Yes some of them are - but so what? They end up this way because they have been so successful in treating patients and are well-recognized among their peers. Some patients really are just overly sensitive, intolerant of any discomfort, unreasonable, and have poor social and interpersonal skills, which is why many of these so called "arrogant" doctors are still well-liked and highly-regarded by many. Without question, these doctors adapt to only certain personality types. An incorrect diagnosis is one thing, but if the doctor is arrogant and even rude, then so what? Getting me better is all I care about.
- —Guest Dustin
Americas Best (Worse)
- My husband had began using flashlights to see. Additionally, he was straining to read. I booked his appointment as he works 3 jobs and is very busy. During our explanation and expression of concern the Dr. @ Americas Best said, I should stay out of my husbands business and that he can make decisions for himself. (Certainly we were seeking support and education regarding the condition.) The Doctor kept his back to me (wife of 30 years) the whole time and did not speak to me at all. The doctor said if my husband was landing a 747 he would need better options however, because he is only a Fire Captain responsible for a crew, lives and equipment that the basics are good enough. His demeanor was very arrogant. (We did find that his prescription had changed.)
- —Guest Guest Eyes
"You are stressing me out!???"
- I just had our dr. say several times to me when I had typed questions to ask him re: tests and different ailments "You are just stressing me out" and he could only deal with 3 ailments (I had 9) and that it would take 3 hours for him to address all of the things on my list - not only did he raise his voice; his nurse had been irate and raising her voice at me stating the same thing - only 3 things could be addressed - what a jerk - he said that I needed to be seen by someone else (I said like an internist?) and he said yes - it was so very upsetting because I have been very ill and having chest pains and head, neck and back pain due to fainting and falling backwards - so glad I won't have to be seeing him any more.
- —Guest Guest Joan
formal complaints filed
- On 9-25-2012 a formal complaint was filed against Dr. HJW at Memorial Hospital of Tampa complaint regarding his total disregard for my patient bill of rights granted to all people. when i asked him for my Biopsy results he said im not going to stand here and have you "f-ing" lecture me on anatomy and stormed out of my room. he completely ripped out any Dignity i had within myself. he is very rude and a liabilty to the private health care system of anthem that i pay $450.00 a month. So much for private health care. it's a shame one should have to feel intimidated to further their treatment to full recovery. Hoping soon to bring attention through media of my Deplorable abuse by him and the administrative staff that took my complaint and did nothing to try to comfort me in ensuring my Dignity.
- —jamescalta
Dealingwith Arrogant & Egostical Doctors
- I don't support the idea that because doctors are overstretched they have the right to be rude and arrogant towards their patients. Is their profession too demanding, or is rudeness an excuse to cover up personal insecurities and poor social skills, even perhaps an emotional pathology? Although medical doctors may possess excellent medical skills, they are not trained to develop the right hemisphere of the brain above the left, or to accept feelings and emotions as part of the healing process. To get on with most doctors we made to learn the difference between empathy and sympathy, the ability to see something of the world of another but never to get involved in it. I support our intelligent right to be 'listened to', as opposed to be 'lectured to' . If your doctor lacks empathy and insists on being a control freak, it's probably time to move on.
- —Guest Maggie
Arrogance Leads to Billing Errors, Too
- I injured my ankle several weeks ago. The original x-rays didn't show any fracture, but follow up xrays taken a couple of weeks later showed two healing fractures of the fibula. The podiatrist I have been seeing stood there, pointed at the two bright white lines on the x-ray and said "the good news is that the fractures are healing." But now that I am trying to get substantiating records to submit with my accidental injury claim, I find that the doctor never revised the diagnosis on the chart. I explained to his office what I needed and they had the doctor call me. He kept telling me my chart didn't say anything about a fracture, just a tendon/ligament injury. But HE'S the one who told me it was fractured. Unfortunately, the accident policy pays a lot less for a sprain than for a fracture. If I can't get this guy to fix the record, it probably isn't even worth submitting the claim.
- —Guest sclarke
time for a new doctor
- A few years ago, as a newly diagnosed hypothyroid patient, I asked my internist if he ever prescribed natural thyroid medications. He proceeded to tell me " it's unsafe, it's outdated, and the dosages are not properly regulated. Besides, while it may be natural, so is dog poop!" I was so surprised, I let it go and took the prescription for synthetic thyroid medication. At my last visit, I was attempting to discuss with him the shortcomings of using the TSH test alone to monitor thyroid status. I was treated to smirks, questions about the source of my information, more smirks, and so much roundabout logic I finally gave up. In the end, I had the tests he ordered but I also went online and ordered my own reverse T3 and thyroid antibody tests and paid out of pocket. End result: comparing the tests he ordered to those I ordered on my own, I found that as I suspected, my body is not properly converting the synthetic T4 I'm taking to the T3 it needs.
- —Guest sclarke
Arrogant and Egotisitical Doctors
- I had some fluttering in my chest and had it checked by some visiting nurses. They found nothing but advised me to ask for an EKG when I saw my Endocrinologist the next week. Dr J (no longer my DR.!) is a petite, rude and arrogant woman from India who ignored my request. I doubted myself because of her superior attitude but, did keep track of varying symptoms. Eight months later I had to have a pacemaker implanted and I am grateful that I found docs that listened. I have not yet reported DR J but I will soon. I know of several people who had very serious accidents and complications when they passed out behind the wheel, I was lucky, no thanks to DR J.
- —Guest Beverly
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