State of the healthcare system in America: Let's discuss why it's failing

Jacob Fox6 said:Well, honestly, you totally took what I said out of context since you only just decided to add that extra explanation now...

I mean, what do I even know about all that technical incompetence? I honestly can't say much since I'm not dealing with any of that myself and I really don't want to just sit here theorizing about it... 🤷I just know that I’m out here giving it my all, trying to learn the ropes and do everything by the book, but as for the rest of it... I honestly don't know... the only people I could really weigh in on are my classmates from college, because when it comes to actual doctors, I just don't have a clue... 🤷

And honestly, that’s perfectly fine. Just keep doing your job that way. If you hit a wall, just reach out to the more experienced folks for help and try to keep your sanity in this profession. Because—believe me—it's totally possible if you're a good person at heart...

Jacob Fox6 said:😁

You totally missed the most obvious point here... animals can't talk, so vets don't really have anyone to lose their cool with after fifteen years on the job... 😁

I guess I see your point, sort of. But honestly, owners tend to talk way too much and (sometimes) get a little too demanding...

Hey everyone, just hanging out and feeling the good vibes today... hope you're all having an absolute blast... says:
Jacob Fox6

Looks like we finally ended up on the same page after all...
It honestly just feels so much better when you can actually see a doctor who isn't totally stressed out... someone who won't snap at you for no reason...
Plus, once they realize you're part of the inner circle, their whole vibe changes and they start treating you way differently...
And you'll end up asking way more questions too, since most "regular" patients don't even realize what they didn't understand until they finally get back home...
Of course working in hospitals is way tougher, especially since you're dealing with such a wild mix of patient personalities every single day, so every doctor, nurse, and staff member just has to find their own little way to process all that chaos so they can actually make it home feeling like a sane human being...😢
I’m telling you again, everything just goes a whole lot smoother when you lead with a little bit of kindness...👍

Hope you have a killer day at work... 🙂

thanks... 🙂 Same here... 🙂

I totally get that... It’s wild how their whole vibe shifts the second they realize you might be joining them on the team, and honestly, it makes you wonder why they even bother acting that way... That one doctor I was talking about is just a nightmare to deal with, not just for me but for everyone who walks through those clinic doors... I’m not trying to make this all about my own grudge, but I genuinely don't have a single good thing to say about her... I’m not asking for some sunshine-and-rainbows level of kindness, just basic human decency where she doesn't treat me like I'm an inconvenience for breathing... She's a terrible physician, and knowing her for years, I really doubt I'd be overstepping if I said she's a pretty lousy person too...

Maybe it's just because they're terrified you'll start asking questions that leave them totally speechless...😛

Hey everyone... hope you're all having a good night. I definitely need some extra coffee to get my brain moving today. 🙂

Casey Palmer5 said:I guess I see your point, sort of. But honestly, owners tend to talk way too much and (sometimes) get a little too demanding...

😁

That's just facts...😁
Whenever I’m taking my pup to the vet, I usually find myself just chatting with him to keep him calm and stuff, while only asking the vet the absolute essentials, but listening to everyone else ask a million questions, I totally get what you mean... Treating animals versus treating people is a whole different ballgame in theory, though I doubt that's exactly what you were getting at, since you were probably talking about the vets' actual personalities...🤷

It actually reminds me of that old saying—"the more you know people, the more you love animals"... and man, when I first heard that years ago, it just clicked for me immediately...🤷

swiftbear86 said:Maybe it's just because they're terrified you'll start asking questions that leave them totally speechless...😛

Hey everyone... hope you're all having a good night. I definitely need some extra coffee to get my brain moving today. 🙂

I wouldn't say "maybe" if I were you... because it's definitely a sure thing... 😉

Night y'all 🙂

I've got students coming in tomorrow morning 😁, so I can hang out for a little bit longer.

Honestly, I've been so impressed with the vibe of all the votes I've seen so far 🙂
They just feel... totally normal.

Casey Palmer5 said:And honestly, that’s perfectly fine. Just keep doing your job that way. If you hit a wall, just reach out to the more experienced folks for help and try to keep your sanity in this profession. Because—believe me—it's totally possible if you're a good person at heart...

I'm totally with you on that... 😉

Honestly... I really doubt she’d ever rush headlong into anything without checking first, because I just don't see that kind of ego in her, and I definitely wouldn't feel bad about asking questions if I was feeling stuck or unsure about something... I think it's actually pretty healthy to do things that way, kind of like how doctors at Mayo Clinic have their morning rounds to talk through everything together, so I'm totally on board with prioritizing quality, whether we're talking about the work itself or the people doing it... 👍

Casey Palmer5 said:I've got students coming in tomorrow morning 😁, so I can hang out for a little bit longer.

Honestly, I've been so impressed with the vibe of all the votes I've seen so far 🙂
They just feel... totally normal.

😁

You totally cracked me up 😁 because you reminded me of how cute my little guy's vet is...😍

It’s true though... they really are different... I haven't met tons of them, just a few students and some vets here and there, but they are such genuinely warm people...🙂

Jacob Fox6 said:😁

You totally cracked me up 😁 because you reminded me of how cute my little guy's vet is...😍

It’s true though... they really are different... I haven't met tons of them, just a few students and some vets here and there, but they are such genuinely warm people...🙂

I honestly think there’s a reason for that.
I mean, seriously.
If a vet is rude, you just go somewhere else. And that first vet? They lose all the money you would've spent there.
One client leaves, then another, then a third, and pretty soon that vet can't even pay the bills.
The whole practice goes under.
With doctors, regardless of how they act (and whether patients jump ship or not), the paycheck stays steady. A decent paycheck (for what we make here). They work less and pull in the same amount.

Until doctors aren't paid based on their patient volume and actual results, things aren't going to change.

dustymarlin10 said:I honestly think there’s a reason for that.
I mean, seriously.
If a vet is rude, you just go somewhere else. And that first vet? They lose all the money you would've spent there.
One client leaves, then another, then a third, and pretty soon that vet can't even pay the bills.
The whole practice goes under.
With doctors, regardless of how they act (and whether patients jump ship or not), the paycheck stays steady. A decent paycheck (for what we make here). They work less and pull in the same amount.

Until doctors aren't paid based on their patient volume and actual results, things aren't going to change.

Oh, absolutely—it’s just like veterinarians. And then we, the patients, would be forced to become perfectly polite. We wouldn't dare pull a doctor aside or ask any tough questions; we'd just sit there smiling nicely, because if we happen to be difficult, we'll get snapped at.😁

Jason Howard9 said:Oh, absolutely—it’s just like veterinarians. And then we, the patients, would be forced to become perfectly polite. We wouldn't dare pull a doctor aside or ask any tough questions; we'd just sit there smiling nicely, because if we happen to be difficult, we'll get snapped at.😁

Don't sweat it—as someone who owns a veterinary practice, I’m constantly asking questions and complaining myself. Honestly, it's the exact same way I act when I'm the one in the waiting room.

What I was actually getting at is that the whole dynamic with patients is just fundamentally different in the vet world because, well, it all comes down to the money.

You’ll be paying for that different approach just like you do when you visit a private specialist. And if every doctor starts getting paid based on "incentives," believe me, that shift is going to be funded directly out of your own pocket.

I’ve had my fair share of both good and bad experiences with nurses and doctors—it seems to be entirely a matter of circumstance, I suppose—like, how that specific nurse or doctor is feeling on any given day. Not that it justifies being rude, obviously, but I think it plays a role.
But there is something else that I find absolutely appalling. For instance, I’ll go to see my gynecologist and she tells me to undress in the exam room, yet the doors separating the exam area from where the nurse sees patients are wide open—there’s just some sort of flimsy partition near the desk so you aren't seen *entirely*, but that’s it. There isn't even a corner in the room to actually change, so if I'm wearing pants instead of a skirt, I'm basically walking around naked while the doors are standing wide open. You can only imagine how uncomfortable that feels.
A nearly identical situation happened to me over in Brooklyn; I was dealing with some hemorrhoid issues and the doctor told me to undress for the exam while, believe it or not, another patient was sitting right in the next room—and yep, the doors were wide open!
I honestly cannot wrap my head around the mindset of these nurses and doctors. I realize they are looking at my face or... well, other parts, just like I'm looking at them, but—goodness—is it really that much trouble to just close the damn door and show a little consideration for the patient? As far as I'm concerned, they can look at my other parts in the hallway, but if I am naked, I expect privacy and basic decency.

dustymarlin10 said:I honestly think there’s a reason for that.
I mean, seriously.
If a vet is rude, you just go somewhere else. And that first vet? They lose all the money you would've spent there.
One client leaves, then another, then a third, and pretty soon that vet can't even pay the bills.
The whole practice goes under.
With doctors, regardless of how they act (and whether patients jump ship or not), the paycheck stays steady. A decent paycheck (for what we make here). They work less and pull in the same amount.

Until doctors aren't paid based on their patient volume and actual results, things aren't going to change.

There's definitely some truth to what you're saying... money has always been a motivator and it always will be... and obviously, any doctor—just like anyone else—would be way more driven to see fewer patients so they can actually give everyone the attention they deserve, provided the pay matches that level of care...

So, I ended up signing up with one dentist, but after just one visit—I wasn't really feeling her approach—I switched over to a different practice. Since nobody ever mentioned anything about transferring my records, and I honestly had no idea that was even a thing you had to do, I stayed on the old dentist's roster for a whole year while going to the new guy for all my actual work. Then, after a year of this, the dental assistant suddenly realizes I'm not actually an active patient there—she got so worked up! She basically snapped at me, saying, "She's been coming here for repairs while they're the ones getting paid for her membership!" I'm not entirely sure what that implies... but clearly, it's all about their patient count to them.

hiddenraven7 said:So, I ended up signing up with one dentist, but after just one visit—I wasn't really feeling her approach—I switched over to a different practice. Since nobody ever mentioned anything about transferring my records, and I honestly had no idea that was even a thing you had to do, I stayed on the old dentist's roster for a whole year while going to the new guy for all my actual work. Then, after a year of this, the dental assistant suddenly realizes I'm not actually an active patient there—she got so worked up! She basically snapped at me, saying, "She's been coming here for repairs while they're the ones getting paid for her membership!" I'm not entirely sure what that implies... but clearly, it's all about their patient count to them.

The doctors could probably give you a more technical breakdown, but from what I understand, it’s all because of how Medicare works... basically, they allocate a specific amount of money to whichever doctor you're officially registered with. So in the scenario you described, those first doctors were technically the ones getting that funding... though it sounds like a massive oversight on the nurse's part, since she's the one supposed to be handling all the registrations and cancellations. And honestly, that first doctor wouldn't have seen a dime if you were paying this other guy out of pocket for your work...🙂

Jacob Fox6 said:The doctors could probably give you a more technical breakdown, but from what I understand, it’s all because of how Medicare works... basically, they allocate a specific amount of money to whichever doctor you're officially registered with. So in the scenario you described, those first doctors were technically the ones getting that funding... though it sounds like a massive oversight on the nurse's part, since she's the one supposed to be handling all the registrations and cancellations. And honestly, that first doctor wouldn't have seen a dime if you were paying this other guy out of pocket for your work...🙂

Of course—it’s entirely her mistake—and I suppose I shouldn't really be expected to manage their paperwork myself—though, well, I did pay for a few months. $5.00 I suppose there was some sort of co-pay required before my supplemental insurance kicked in—but that's about it. It’s not like they made a fortune off me or anything—not really.

hiddenraven7 said:Of course—it’s entirely her mistake—and I suppose I shouldn't really be expected to manage their paperwork myself—though, well, I did pay for a few months. $5.00 I suppose there was some sort of co-pay required before my supplemental insurance kicked in—but that's about it. It’s not like they made a fortune off me or anything—not really.

Honestly, better that way.🙂

The only thing is that dentist you used was still getting paid by Medicare, and man, that's not exactly pocket change...

Kate Collins67 said:Look, I never said that being polite means you're clueless—or that being rude means you're an expert. All I’m saying is, if I’m forced to choose between a friendly person who has no idea what they’re doing and a blunt person who actually knows their stuff? I’ll take the expert every single time.
The real point here is that actual competence matters way more than how much a provider smiles at a patient—even if everyone here keeps trying to frame it differently. Being personable is a nice little bonus, sure, but let’s be real: if the medical knowledge isn't there, all the charm and friendliness in the world isn't going to do a damn thing for a patient in trouble.

You're right.
Patients often unintentionally obstruct a doctor who is actually trying to find the best solution.
I once had a doctor who was a total grouch—terrible at communicating, which caused me significant anxiety both before and after my surgery. However, when it came time to act quickly, perform the operation, and manage a post-op abscess, he was nothing short of a miracle worker.
That’s just how he operates, I suppose.
Later on, during follow-ups, he’d be scrolling through his phone while examining me. As a patient, I felt I couldn't complain, but the moment I opened my mouth to speak, he’d snap, "Only speak when I ask you a question." It was rude, plain and simple.
Still, the benefits he provided far outweighed his lack of manners. Eventually, once he got used to the routine of visits, I realized he was a decent person, just completely consumed by his work.