The medical profession is often regarded as one of the most revered jobs in the world because of the level of expertise needed to be successful in the field. Since the demands of the job require them to have a high degree of knowledge, doctors spend years perfecting their craft, continuously studying and honing their skills to make sure that patients get the best care possible. Doctors play an important service to society, promoting, maintaining, and restoring the health of its members, for which they are highly-respected. However, there are some things that doctors keep to themselves. Secrets that are hilarious, scary, and to some, unbelievably shocking, and we have gathered some of them satisfy your curiosity. Here are some secrets that doctors don’t tell their patients. 1. They Get the Diagnosis Wrong Sometimes Doctors are human too and make mistakes from time to time. People often think that doctors are incapable of errors, given the amount of time they spend studying. However, you would be surprised to know that in 2015, a study conducted by the US Institute of Medicine found out that more or less 12 million Americans will receive a wrong diagnosis at least once in their lifetime. Also, a recent study found out that 20% of people with serious, life-threatening conditions are diagnosed incorrectly. The reason isn’t necessarily because of a doctor’s incompetence but because of the hundreds of diseases to consider in addition to the thousands of symptoms to analyze. However, newer and more improved diagnostics have markedly decreased this. If you feel that you have been diagnosed incorrectly, it wouldn’t hurt to seek a second opinion. 2. Some Hospitals Are Better Than Others In Treating Certain Diseases Different hospitals have different degrees of success when treating certain diseases. Some hospitals receive more of certain cases than other hospitals making them more experienced in treating those conditions. Teaching hospitals are generally better when undergoing complex surgeries, this is because learning institutions stay abreast with the latest in health research to be able to better educate new doctors. In addition, the medical students and residents present during cases provide extra sets of eyes and ears thereby lessening the chances for errors. 3. Doctors Can Lose Their Patience With You There are times when physicians lose their patience, especially when treating problematic patients who refuse to follow their doctor’s orders, only for them to come back complaining of the same thing over and over again. Treating a disease is a two-way street and doctors give their best to provide their patients with the proper treatment. Their jobs can be only done effectively when their patients cooperate. Doctors are human too and can become frustrated with things, especially irritating patients. Some are better than others at handling these frustrations but it isn’t unusual to hear about doctors who lose their cool and secretly spite or make fun of patients, especially the difficult ones. 4. Doctors Can Be Influenced by Drug Companies Some patients notice that certain doctors tend to push for particular brand names when prescribing medicines. Chances are, these doctors are being influenced by pharmaceutical firms through incentives in the form of money or travel in exchange for prescribing a particular drug. But not all doctors are influenced by drug firms this way. Physicians may be unaware of the manipulations that drug companies do to their clinical trials and product literature. Because of this, doctors can mistakenly prescribe certain drugs in the belief that they are better than that of their competitors’. Fortunately, doctors would be glad to prescribe cheaper, generic medicines for patients who ask for them. So if you feel that the medicines your doctor is prescribing you are too expensive, don’t be afraid to let him know. 5. Hospitals Charge Differently for the Same Procedure Being aware of hospital fees could spell the difference between saving money and breaking the bank. Hospitals are known to charge differently for procedures such as specialized imaging modalities and surgeries, with some charging fees which are more expensive than others. To illustrate, a 2015 study by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that a joint replacement procedure done at Chickasaw Nation Medical Center costs almost $230,000 cheaper than what Memorial Hospital of Salem County charges for the same operation. 6. Doctors Don’t Always Consult with Each Other If you think that your attending doctors communicate with each other regarding your case while you are confined at the hospital, you will be surprised that it isn’t always the case. In a study conducted in the United States between the years 2009 and 2013 showed that more than 1,600 deaths from various hospitals stemmed from poor communication between doctors, a hefty 30% of all malpractice cases during the period. Examples of poor communication between physicians included no communication about a patient’s condition and medications, incomplete and poor recording of the patient’s progress, as well as not reading the patient’s medical charts. To prevent this, doctors encourage patients and their relatives to always speak with all their doctors and play an active role in order to keep them aware of everything that is happening with regard to their admission. 7. Don’t Get Admitted on a Weekend or During the Summer Months, Especially July Doctors divulge that being admitted during the summer months, especially during the month of July, could be a bad idea as found by a study conducted by the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2011. The report showed a more than 30% increase in mortality rates in hospitals during the said period which, they say, could be attributed to the influx of new, inexperienced medical graduates and the departure of seasoned medical residents. Another study conducted in the United Kingdom showed a similar occurrence during weekends where a 16% increase in mortality rates was noted compared to weekday numbers. This is because of fewer staff manning the hospitals in addition to limited access to vital diagnostic tests during the period. However, teaching hospitals had lower mortality rates during the same periods compared to other hospitals. This is because learning institutions have a greater number of experienced residents on duty who can guide the newly grads who have just entered, as compared to that of non-teaching facilities. 8. Doctors Aren’t Rich The notion that doctors are rich couldn’t be farther from the truth, according to many who belong to the profession. Most people think that physicians have the luxury to enjoy the finer things in life but truth is, they aren’t. The cost of medical education doesn’t come cheap, especially with the prices of books and other fees that come with it. Most doctors had to take out loans in order to stay in medical school, and these loans have to be paid once they begin their practice. In fact, after they graduate, these new doctors have to pay in order to get into a good residency program where they can further hone their skills. Figures in the US put a doctor’s school debt at $600,000 inclusive of interest which they have to pay back. In addition, doctors also pay higher taxes than most of us, paying a staggering 29% federal tax to be able to practice. 9. Doctors Lie The most difficult part of being a doctor is trying to give hope to patients and their relatives, especially when things aren’t looking too well. The pain of seeing others witness love-ones waste away and die could be difficult to bear, and doctors are subjected to that spectacle more than they would like to be. To make it easier for the relatives to cope, doctors often make up white lies to give them some form of hope to hold on to and lessen the grief that illnesses bring. These lies also serve to encourage patients to keep on fighting by following through with their treatment plan. The hardest thing most of all is telling a patient that everything is going to be alright even if they know that their circumstances are bleak. 10. Doctors Are Prone To Depression The life of a doctor could be tough, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Every day, these medical professionals go through their rigorous schedules which can be very stressful, especially if they have to deal with angry and difficult patients, family issues and a myriad other tasks that have to be taken care of. Because of this, many doctors become burned out, their jobs taking a toll on them throughout the years of being of service to others, a reason why a lot of them suffer from depression. 11. Ask Hospital Employees Which Doctors Are Good If you would like to know how a good a doctor is, the best way to find out is to ask hospital employees. These people get to spend the most time around doctors and probably know a lot about how they work not only with their patients but also with their colleagues, nurses, and other department personnel who make up the hospital. 12. Ask About A Surgeon’s Complication Rate Complications can arise from any procedure, and for surgeons, having low complication rates reflect not only their skill with the knife but also their adeptness in post-operative care. Learning about your surgeon’s complication rate will allow you to gauge how good your doctor is and make you feel more confident about him handling your case. 13. Surgeons Are More Likely to Suggest an Operation VS Conservative Treatment Surgeons make more money when they operate on patients and because of this, they have a tendency to suggest that performing a surgery could better address your problem instead of going the conservative route. If you feel that your doctor is trying to steer you toward a procedure you aren’t comfortable undergoing, it is best to seek a second opinion. 14. Some Surgeons Are Not Certified You would be surprised that there are doctors out there who perform procedures without undergoing board certification in their specialties. Choosing a doctor with the proper credentials can prevent you from suffering unwanted complications that can arise from the procedure. Having peace of mind by knowing that you are in the good hands of a certified doctor can also decrease your anxiety before the procedure, making your experience more pleasant. 15. Beware of Freestanding ERs Notice those freestanding ERs that have recently popped all over? Those aren’t real emergency rooms that are equipped to handle life-threatening cases and are only good for minor injuries such as the occasional bump, scratch, or bruise here and there. Hospital emergency rooms are staffed by well-trained personnel with access to the proper diagnostic, surgical, and imaging equipment that could mean the difference between life and death. So if you are suffering from something serious such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, or severe trauma, it is best to be brought to a proper facility to improve your chances of survival. 16. Some Surgeons Work on a Quota Despite some hospitals shifting to fixed salaries for the doctors working for them, most still encourage their doctors to see more patients and do more operations. Bonuses are given to doctors who exceed their numbers, an incentive for them to over-treat and beat the quota. Because of this, you might not be getting the proper care and management you deserve since these doctors are probably in a hurry to move on to the next case as quickly as possible. 17. Hospitals Protect Their Doctors Hospitals invest heavily on their doctors, especially since they are the ones responsible for bringing in patients. The more patients that visit the hospital for treatment or for surgery means more revenue for the facility. Because of the value of these physicians to the fiscal health of the hospital, protecting them from patient complaints ranks high on their priority list. 18. You Could Be Overcharged by Specialists The more doctors visit you while you are admitted in the hospital, the more it is likely that your hospital bill is being padded. Always remember that doctor visits aren’t free and are being charged to your account even if it is not necessary for them to check on you often. To help you curb this, ask your admitting doctor whether daily visits from specialists are needed and if the consults to different services are necessary. 19. Some of The Tests They Order Aren’t Needed Doctors have admitted that almost 1/3 of the tests, medications, and procedures they do are unnecessary and are only done because the patient asks for it, which they happily oblige to prevent malpractice. Remember, these tests do not come for free, so the next time your physician orders a test, be sure to ask why that test is needed and what he expects to find out from the results. Also, try to find out whether the test result will determine a different course of treatment to that you are currently having. If it doesn’t, then you probably don’t need it. 20. The Reason You’re Waiting is Because of a Drug Representative More often than not, the reason why you’ve been waiting too long for the doctor to see you is that he is listening to a lengthy sales pitch from a drug representative working for a big pharmaceutical firm that incentivizes him to prescribe their meds. Yes, they admitted to that. 21. Doctors Don’t See Their Doctors Another sad part about being a doctor is that they never get to visit their own physicians. Doctors get sick too, believe it or not. That’s because they’re just as human as everybody else. However, their rigorous schedules prevent them from taking a day off work. hA true testament of how dedicated they are to making sure that their patients’ needs come before their own. So next time you visit your doctor, don’t forget to show them some love. 22. A Lot of Doctors Don’t Wash Their Hands According to a report on Morbidity and Mortality from the Center for Disease Control, 60% of doctors don’t adhere to the hand-washing guidelines put in place by hospital administration. A shocking revelation since most pathogens known to man can be transmitted from person to person just via the hands. Yikes. 23. Half of all the Doctors Cover for Their Colleagues According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, 46% of doctors who believe that impaired and incompetent colleagues who make serious mistakes should be reported, turn a blind eye to these violations at least once in their careers. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. 24. Doctors Hate Long Chats Doctors have admitted to faking important phone calls and pretending to be in a rush just to get rid of overly-chatty patients. Some even have their secretaries page them after spending 5 minutes in a room with a difficult and talkative patient, pretending to read it and then rushing out saying that it’s an emergency. Sneaky. 25. Do Not Google Your Symptoms Your doctor didn’t spend a good part of his life in the pursuit of medical knowledge just to be trumped by a patient who claims to have read something from a website. There is nothing more annoying than getting a message from a patient who decides to forego treatment because of some out-of-this-world regimen they saw online. Have a little respect for your doctor by trusting him and avoiding the urge to Google your illness. 26. The Coat Says It All Not all doctors who wear coats are the same. Yes, they are all doctors but the more senior ones, the consultants, wear longer coats compared to medical residents and interns. Remember, the shorter the coat, the least experienced they are. 27. Department Heads Aren’t Always the Best in Their Fields Being the head of a particular department does not always mean that a doctor is the best in that field. More often than not, department heads are quite the opposite, not because they are the worst but because they don’t get to see patients as often as we think. Perhaps during their earlier days, these doctors were at the top of their game, but taking on the task of heading a service means that they spend less time seeing patients and concentrate more on paperwork and administrative functions. 28. Be Patient At The ER There is nothing that annoys ER doctors and staff more than a patient demanding to be seen ahead of the other patients. Emergency rooms do not see on a first-come-first-served basis but operate using a system where the most critical cases get priority over the others. So please, if you come in because of a broken nail or an itchy scalp, be patient. Someone else needs the doctor’s attention more than you do. 29. Doctors Can Sometimes Give Discounts Sometimes, doctors feel kind enough to slash their fees for those whom they feel need it the most. Many have admitted to being suckers for sob stories and have given discounts to patients who have it pretty hard. It wouldn’t hurt to ask them for a little consideration but do keep in mind that duping a doctor into giving a discount by making up a fake story could seriously backfire on you. 30. Doctors Live Unhealthy Lifestyles Yes, even if our doctors tell us to quit smoking, give up fatty food, or go on a diet lest we want to suffer the consequences, they themselves are guilty of committing the very same health crimes the prevent us from doing. Many doctors live unhealthy lives, a sort of coping mechanism to escape from the stress that comes with their profession. But just because they’re doing it doesn’t mean we should. It is still best for us to listen to their advice, besides, it is our health that’s on the line, not theirs. Source
