Warning Signs of a Bad Doctor

1. Talks to you only in the exam room while you are undressed

2. Never looks at you when you are speaking, but rather, writes furiously in your chart not listening to a word you say

3. Has not reviewed your case at all prior to your visit. You know this because while you are perched on the iron table in your paper dress waiting for him, you hear him leave the exam room of another patient, then he is standing outside your door and you hear him remove your chart from the little cubby on the front of your door, flip through a few pages for 30 seconds and then he comes in. THAT is not PREP. Either come in and open the chart and talk or review it before hand at your desk in a proper way.

4. Doesn’t wash his hands upon entering. He just left another exam room- do you really want him touching you?

5. Makes no eye contact, isn’t quite sure of your name and simply goes through the motions of an exam. Or worse, never touches you. Never lays hands on you but writes up five prescriptions anyway.

6. Acts as if we are all the same person- more like cars in a body shop than human. Once he opens the hood of a Chevy it is the same as a Ford.

7. Doesn’t let you speak, ask questions, or express your fears

8. Doesn’t seem to care that you have cancer. There is no empathy. He either tells you he can “cure you” or he says off hand “we’ll see if this works”

9. When you question him about wanting a test or a certain chemo he makes a face because you “read it on the internet”. He then proceeds to inform you that anything you read is wrong and he is the only one who is right.

10. Has the same routine with everyone, never thinks of you as an individual. You can tell from the way he is talking it is a rote speech he has delivered thousands of times. But he never puts YOU into the speech. You can tell your particular case is of no interest to him―he has done this thousands of times, he would like you to just be quiet and listen to what he has to say.

11. You express a fear about your hair falling out and he/she makes a joke and tells you to stop being vain.

12. Doesn’t take into account the quality of your life when he is lining up one harsh treatment after another.

13. If you ask him about a side effect he says it “goes with the territory”

14. Makes you wait―not just in the waiting room but even in the exam room where you are left there waiting and waiting. At least in the waiting room there were magazines to read! Once in a while, and if an apology is given then it is fine, but every time with no apology is unacceptable

15. Is unavailable for after hours emergencies. OR if you finally do get through to him, he insinuates that you “bothered” him for nothing

16. Won’t share your case and what he feels needs to be done with your other doctors.

17. Never calls you with test results.

18. Thinks you are overreacting and might need some kind of counseling, anti-depressant, tranquilizer, etc. or you have fibromyalgia―when if he took five minutes to put your mind at east you wouldn’t need anything.

19. Won’t let you bring your husband, brother, sister, or best friend in with you to discuss your case- all you are doing is taking up too much of his time.

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