i went to a new doctor

a specialist with the first available appointment in our medical system

with good reviews

i’ve rarely had anything but positive experiences

 this one was quite the opposite

while he knew his subject

he had absolutely no understanding of human interaction

let alone skills in working with a patient

he was cocky, a know it all

i had to ask him all the relevant questions and tell him my history

as he never asked or offered suggestions

he was dismissive, scoffed at things i said

seemed doubtful that i would even follow through with recommended therapies

at one point

i came close to asking

“are you A.I.?”

even though he was present in the room with me

finally

i had his order for a physical therapist

the outcome i had hoped for

 along with my new massage therapist trainer

no need or plan to see him ever again.

he told me to return after 8 weeks

to see how the treatment was going

as he expected

that i wouldn’t get a p.t. appointment

for at least 2 weeks

what an inspirational guy

why did he ever chose to be a doctor?

as i left

i felt bad for all of the people still in the waiting room

hoping they would see him soon.

—

“the good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”

-sir william osler, canadian physician and one of the founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital