Doctor stories: What are your experiences with diagnoses?

Alright, everyone jumped on the kid thing immediately—of course they did. That’s everyone's Achilles' heel. But what about everything else? You guys kind of went silent on me there...

After seeing comments like that, you really start to regret just trying to do your job with some actual integrity.

Noah Vaughn3 said:I wanted to mention something—it’s not strictly related to the current topic, but still relevant. Even my father has one (despite the fact that my mother is a physician), it's called "The Family Doctor from A to Z."
It comes with first aid instructions, and honestly, you shouldn't overlook it. It covers 18 different categories encompassing various systemic illnesses, treatment methods, and even natural remedies..
I guarantee you'd find answers to most of the questions people ask on this forum in there. It might actually help folks distinguish between what's an immediate emergency and what can wait for a clinic visit.. so, I just think if more people took the time to educate themselves using resources like that—rather than just relying on advisors.. life would be easier for everyone. I'm not saying you need an entire library of medical texts on your shelf... but this is genuinely useful stuff.

Just give it some thought; the more you know, the less panic there will be, and fewer awkward trips to the doctor.

So, thanks for the advice, future doctor: go ahead and diagnose patients yourself, perform your own triage. Whatever floats your boat, I suppose.

/signed

You seem like an incredibly bitter individual... I truly feel for you.

And honestly, you’re having a very hard time reading between the lines.

There isn't much I can do about that—my condolences.

Angela Bailey30 said:1) No. Especially when parents aren't doctors, coming in because they HAVE NO CLUE what's going on and they're terrified for their kid (unless they should just be embarrassed for worrying)...

2) Fine, let's all go get medical degrees so we can diagnose ourselves and handle triage and decide what actually counts as an emergency and what doesn't...

1) Ohhh, my bad... I didn't realize you were the one in charge of making those calls... sorry about that...

2) If you honestly think a kid is gonna kick the bucket from nausea before morning, that's just sad. And especially the idea that someone coughing for two weeks is gonna drop dead if they wait one more night... pathetic...

northernbear2 said:Maybe they aren't a kid, but based on how they post... it’s hard to tell.

Forgive me, sir, for actually caring about my own kid. God forbid anyone shows concern. It’s a massive disgrace. Truly shameful. If I ever acted like that, I wouldn’t even bother leaving the house again 🙂))
If emergency responders actually did their damn jobs properly, maybe you wouldn't have to deal with them ruining your evening coffee or whatever else you're busy doing.

And then there's the whole PM drama... and the "coffee" comment. Give me a break. I've worked myself to the bone during my shifts—exhausted enough that I couldn't even get out of bed the next day, probably falling asleep on the subway on my way home... just shove that coffee and its little saucer right up your nose, you absolute moron.

That’s what happens when people push my buttons.

And honestly, you deserve the insults, since you were the one who started throwing them in the first place.

I wasn't suggesting you should give out medical advice, nor did I say you were diagnosing people or playing triage. My point was simply that having that information on hand can be useful—something to read through so that if symptoms strike, you might feel a bit more prepared and a little less panicked.

Look, Angela Bailey30, it seems like you’re just waiting for me to lose my cool or expose a weakness, but that’s not going to happen. I’m honestly just disappointed... because it feels like there's no way to actually get through to you.
And whenever I try to be helpful, you somehow manage to twist it.

Look, if you’re really that bothered by on-call shifts and the whole weight of working for a government agency, then just open a private practice and be done with it.
And honestly, if being nauseated is your main reason for deciding whether or not a kid needs to see an ER doctor in the middle of the night, then you’re exactly the kind of physician people should stay far away from. Especially after seeing how you responded to Allison's post.

Noah Vaughn3 said:You can't even offer advice anymore without being told you're self-diagnosing or playing triage. I was simply saying it’s helpful to have that info—to read up so if you feel an illness coming on, you might feel less panicked.

Look, Angela Bailey30, you seem desperate for me to lose my cool and show my hand, but that’s just not how I operate. It’s honestly quite tragic... I find myself unable to make you see reason.
And whenever I actually try to be helpful, you somehow twist it into something else.

No, I don't "desperately" want anything. I just want you to realize that patients are essentially a massive group of laypeople, and you need to stop treating them like they've got medical degrees. There’s an old saying that advice is a dangerous gift, even when it comes from someone wise—and it’s incredibly risky to suggest someone evaluate their own symptoms using some handbook, regardless of who authored it. It's reckless.

Hey Angela Bailey30, here’s a little bit of culture for you
Get lost, man!

Come on now—let's go! 😬

Nobody actually treats you like doctors—that’s just something you've imagined

Noah Vaughn3 said:I wasn't suggesting you play doctor or perform your own triage, nor did I say you should diagnose yourself. My point was simply that having this information on hand might be useful—something to glance at during an episode so you can stay level-headed and avoid a full-blown panic attack.

Look, Angela Bailey30, it feels like you’re just waiting for me to lose my cool and show my cards, but that’s not going to happen. Honestly, it’s just exhausting... because it seems impossible to explain anything to you without it being twisted.
Even when I actually want to be helpful, you somehow manage to take it the wrong way.

Are these actually your words?

I can guarantee that if we had this, we could address most of the common questions found on these boards, potentially helping people distinguish between what's an immediate emergency and what can wait for a scheduled appointment with their doctor.

It’s always easy to just cherry-pick one little thing from a post and act like you've cracked the code... Sometimes people push my buttons so hard I actually end up biting.

Just because I actually care about my job doesn't mean I have to sit there and swallow every bit of crap being shoved in my face.

Take this specific situation... a kid was basically collapsing from exhaustion and clearly just wanted one thing: his own bed. But instead, the panicked parents drag him straight to the ER, completely bypassing their pediatrician and even urgent care. If that’s what passes for "normal" behavior these days, then I guess I'm happy being the crazy one.

I’ve never turned my back on anyone, whether things were critical or not. I’ve spent my free time posting hundreds of tips online... writing articles for regular people so they can navigate this mess better, especially when kids are involved. And you’re really telling me all that matters less than me speaking up because I see something being handled wrong?

Choosing a career doesn't mean you have to shut up and take it. Oh, wait, I forgot... you're a soldier. You have to 🙂
Us civilians actually have the right to push back 😉

And regarding northernbear2... when someone starts talking to me like that, the gloves come off and all politeness goes out the window. I didn't start insulting people; it started with me being insulted.

But honestly, looking at this whole thread, it's all pointless. Sure, gentlemen, we’re doctors, so we should just eat shit, stay silent, and let everyone walk all over us. We don't deserve a life, right? Because heaven forbid, we spent years in medical school, didn't we? Since when do we have the right to start families, have kids, or actually spend time with them? Basically, we should just be robots. That’d be easiest. Actually, we should probably just live at the hospital so we can serve the precious public 24/7 for every little thing... if they can't sleep, they might as well show up at midnight just for some diaper rash cream, right?

I'm distancing myself from this forum... I'm done participating.

They’re yours to interpret—clearly you’re seeing them through a different lens than I intended
I wasn't trying to be unkind; my only thought was that it might actually be helpful for you in the moment. But, by all means, believe whatever you like

Benjamin Murphy2 said:It seems we’ve reached an impasse—nothing makes sense anymore. Apparently, as doctors, we are expected to just swallow the nonsense, stay silent, and let ourselves be trampled. We have no right to a life—after all, we finished medical school, didn't we? Where did we get the audacity to start families or spend any actual time with our children? In essence, we should probably just be robots. That would be most efficient. Better yet, we should live at the hospital, ensuring the valued public is served 24/7 for every minor ailment—including showing up at midnight for some rash cream if they can't sleep.

Speaking of rashes and creams... well, I certainly didn't want to bother the doctors on call (in a small vacation town, no less) over a strange shoulder rash from an insect bite. It turned out to be a staph infection. I ended up paying the price the next morning because, as it turns out, starting antibiotics immediately is vital. Every case is different, and a layperson will naturally err by either overestimating or underestimating their own condition.

I am not entirely sure what the point of this debate is—the market is doing its job. Even now, I am selecting a primary care physician. In major cities, those who fail to perform will lose patients and, consequently, their Medicare contracts... leaving them with nothing but a patient base of retirees who consume most of the referrals and prescriptions. Meanwhile, the younger, generally healthy population knows exactly what their rights are.

As for hospitals, change is inevitable. Everything is shifting toward private providers and private insurance policies—and in that arena, only quality (and bedside manner) will survive.

When people started claiming this thread was pointless, I honestly thought there was real value in letting doctors and (potential) patients talk directly to one another outside of the mainstream media. Usually, by the time things hit the news, the situation has already escalated. Having these discussions helps everyone see what actually bothers people before it all blows up. At the end of the day, we can keep clashing and stay stuck in our own little bubbles if that’s what we want.

Benjamin Murphy2 said:Take this to the DMs and shut up about your damn coffee, you know! ...Just shove that coffee down your throat along with the cup, you absolute moron...

Hmm... Only if I get clearance to come by your place—or yours—to have you check things out if something breaks. Otherwise, no problem, I'm game for whatever.

Benjamin Murphy2 said:I think you deserve these insults, since you were the one who started them in the first place.

Insults? Since when is caring about someone's health—in this case, a child's—an insult? The coffee comment was sarcastic, sure, but it’s also the truth, because plenty of doctors act exactly like that (even during their shifts).

And no, it doesn't matter if it's a kid, a dog, a cat, or anything else. Doctors are there to help—regardless of whether they feel like it or not.

If your power goes out, you call an electrician. If your house is on fire? You call the firefighters, even if it's 2:00 AM. No matter how much they don't feel like doing it, those firefighters are going to put out the damn fire. Well, you all are going to help these "poor hypochondriacs" (and I say that because most of the time "nothing is wrong") whenever they think they're sick.

Benjamin Murphy2 said:Take the argument to DMs and shove that damn coffee, you know! During my shifts, I worked myself to the bone—so hard I couldn't even crawl out of bed the next day, just passing out on the subway ride home. You can take your fancy little latte and shove it, you absolute moron.

That’s what happens when people push my buttons.

And honestly, you earned every bit of that insult since you were the one who started the name-calling in the first place.

The level you're stooping to suggests you're probably arrogant and rude to your patients. People like you need to be kicked out of the healthcare system entirely. Go find some other idiots willing to pay you just to insult them. If you aren't happy with the working conditions, feel free to quit. One fine day, we'll find a way to wipe your kind right out of public service. One day 😠

It’s honestly pathetic when people try to judge how I treat my patients based on how I deal with people who go out of their way to provoke me on this forum.

I mean, how else are you supposed to read northernbear2’s last post? She’s clearly incapable of seeing the log in her own eye... claiming I’m insulting her just because a parent came seeking help for their kid? Look, northernbear2, if you can’t find a single thing in your previous posts that warrants an insult from me, maybe you should start worrying about your own mental state...

And yeah, I think I have every right to snap back when people call me lazy, childish, or immature. If those aren't insults to you, then fine, whatever... but they sure as hell are to me. I'm not just going to sit there and let people be that arbitrary with me. And hey, Justin Fox, keep it up—keep judging people's entire character based on some random internet threads. You're really going places with that mindset... and apparently, we're all coming along for the ride. 😘

northernbear2 said:If your power goes out, you call an electrician. If your house is burning down? You call the fire department, even if it's 2:00 AM. No matter how much they grumble, they’re going to show up and put that damn fire out. It should be the same for people who feel sick. We shouldn't just dismiss them as "hypochondriacs"—and I use that term loosely, because more often than not, something actually *is* wrong.

You've got a point there. Emergency services exist specifically to help those who believe their situation is urgent. Expecting someone to stay calm, swallow their anxiety, and perform their own medical triage just so they don't "bother" some high-and-mighty doctor is frankly disgraceful. A patient isn't a physician; they aren't qualified to diagnose themselves, and honestly, trying to do so usually just discourages people from seeking professional help altogether.

We pay them to be on call. They signed the contracts. So when they act rude or dismissive, how are you supposed to handle it? Get the doctor's name, report them to the hospital administrator, file a complaint with Medicare, and make sure they aren't treated with such arrogance. WebMD, Reddit. Let them deal with the consequences.

To play devil's advocate for the doctors: things can get incredibly tough for them. They should probably be hired in larger numbers so shifts could be shorter, but being overworked isn't an excuse to jeopardize lives or snap at someone who is genuinely terrified. People don't get out of bed in the middle of the night just to mess around. If someone shows up and it turns out to be nothing, fine—send them home with a kind word. A little empathy goes a long way, and it's a sign of basic decency, which, unfortunately, doesn't seem to be the strong suit for many in the medical field.

Benjamin Murphy2 said:northernbear2, if you honestly can't find anything in your previous posts that warrants an insult from me, then you really ought to start worrying about your mental health.

Is this actually your diagnosis, based on some anonymous forum posts, or just a clumsy attempt to discredit anyone who doesn't agree with you?

Benjamin Murphy2 said:So, Justin Fox, by all means, keep going. Go ahead and fire people based on whatever they happen to post on some internet forum. I’m sure that kind of management style will take you straight to the top. And don't worry—we'll be right there alongside you. 😘

Look, if I were the one calling the shots around here, I’d make sure you all had the best working conditions imaginable. We're talking top-tier resources, decent breaks, the whole nine yards. But there's a line. If people start acting disrespectful toward patients, they’d be out the door before they could even finish their sentence. Simple as that.