i agree this is an intersting discussion. i think it must be considered that while the patient-doctor relationship is very critical, it is also very subjective. just like different meds have bad or good effects with different people, people have different "tastes" in what they need from a doctor.

my physicians who i like best are ones who understand that i like to know a lot about my status, know that i am scientifically oriented and that i will go home and research anything he or she tells me on the web. i like a lot of information on what is wrong with me, show me on the xrays, explain the underlying problem, how the medicines work, what my options are and how they each will effect me. that information gives me comfort, probably some degree of control.

but lots of people i know are extremely put off by doctors like that. too much information. it upsets them. they want to know bottom line and options. some prefer is sugar coated, some prefer it straight forward. in each case having the opposite type of doc is frowned upon and criticized "he sugar coats everything so i never know if my diagnosis is really serious or not!"

we all know taht there are some very bad doctors out there, undeniably. but finidng a "good" doctor is a very subjective thing and i try to be mindful of that when recommending a doc to someone else, keeping their needs and personality in mind, unless the doctor in question has some gross misgiving in bedside manner or skill.

-- The world is what we make of it --
-- Dave
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