What Is a Good Doctor?

Almost like answering exam questions, we quickly diagnose and write out standard treatments within 15 minutes. Easy, right?

Doctors have the knowledge, but patients have the vital history. It is very important to sieve through the many pieces of unrelated information to make an accurate diagnosis. Doctors should get to know their patient's family, social, medical, and personal history etc. to help facilitate their diagnosis.

Many consider talking at length with patients a waste of time, a higher cost to their patients, but in reality it saves lives and/or years of wrong treatment. For example, one of my patients was diagnosed with pustular psoriasis and treated as such for 25 years, because no doctor had spent more than 15 minutes with him to discover that he had chicken pox as a child. His blisters were actually shingles. He suffered 25 years with blisters down his buttocks. He had difficulty walking because his pants would rub on the blisters and cause him pain.

Being able to sleep only on one side, he did not have sufficient rest. He became unable to work as a professional engineer because he had pain even while sitting. For over 25 years, he attempted suicide three times from depression. With the proper diagnosis, he is now able to lead a normal life free from pain and sleepless nights, and he is back to work as an engineer instead of being on invalid pension for the rest of his life.

Detectives spent a lot of time questioning their suspects and witnesses to glean information vital to their case. A good doctor must also be a good detective to be effective. A good detective or judge must never spend only 15 minutes on a case and convict someone to life imprisonment, torture, or death.