Why is there such a "God complex" among doctors?

Hey there!

Now, please—don't come for me just yet. I’m not talking about fetishes here; this is just an observation I've made. 👍

From what I can see with medical students, a lot of them act like they're some kind of superior species—which explains why so many grow up to have such massive egos. They're completely delusional.
I've actually met people like that personally, not to mention how everyone immediately jumps to say, "Oh, my friend is in med school, it's definitely the hardest major out there." Isn't that a little insulting to everyone else? To suggest that medicine is the absolute peak of difficulty? Don't get me wrong, med school is grueling, but you can't just claim it's the hardest. In my opinion, an Electrical Engineering degree is way more intense—not to mention Math, Physics, or even Pharmacy...

And don't even get me started on the people who enroll in medical school just because they want that "Dr." title attached to their name.
People love to preach that medicine is the most noble science, but doctors aren't always noble—honestly, quite a few are incredibly arrogant. Take the psychiatrist I saw recently: she couldn't even grasp that I was dealing with depression. She kept making these subtle digs at me under the guise of being "polite," and then, once I was actually feeling great, she had the nerve to tell me I still needed therapy. It feels like they just want the money; as if having $83 a week isn't enough for her. ☕ On top of that, she holds us for 45 minutes for $83. What can you even discuss in 45 minutes? It takes 15 minutes just to get settled in the chair. 🤷

They claim to heal people, but it breaks my heart when they refuse to take someone with a tumor simply because the patient is poor and can't afford the bill. That's when you see the true character of certain doctors.

Please, spare me the inappropriate comments. I am genuinely curious to hear your thoughts on what I've written here.

I’d say the exact same thing about psychologists. :P
Everyone acts like they're the smartest person in the room, mostly because they actually have the tools—and some even have the nerve—to manipulate people!

vikica said:I’d say the same about psychologists. :P
Everyone acts like they’re some kind of genius—especially because they can (and do, in many cases) manipulate people!

Oh, absolutely. I remember this one school counselor back when I was in high school—I’d go to her with a genuine problem, and she’d just shrug and tell me, "Everyone deals with that." It felt like I had gone to some random lady at a flea market for advice instead of a professional, and honestly, she probably would have given better guidance. 👍

And don't even get me started on the sudden rush toward psychology lately; it seems like people just crave that sense of power over others.

It’s honestly pathetic how your average hypochondriac usually ends up knowing more about medicine than actual doctors, often diagnosing themselves before a professional can even step into the room.
Most of these physicians are just straight-up nerds who don't actually grasp the fundamentals, which is a tragedy. Being a doctor is arguably the most responsible job out there, yet it usually boils down to people being nothing more than arrogant pretenders.
It reminds me of that news story from yesterday where a woman was complaining about abdominal pain, only for them to dismiss her as a liar—then they actually left a surgical tool inside her and tried to cover the whole thing up once it came to light.
In my opinion, people like that have no business holding a medical degree.
The issue isn't just the fact that they left an instrument inside her; the real problem is their dismissive reaction to her pain and their complete lack of initiative to even order an X-ray, followed by that blatant attempt at a cover-up. People with that mindset simply CANNOT be doctors.

Donna Wood52 said:Oh, absolutely. I remember this one school counselor back when I was in high school—I’d go to her with a genuine problem, and she’d just shrug and tell me, "Everyone deals with that." It felt like I had gone to some random lady at a flea market for advice instead of a professional, and honestly, she probably would have given better guidance. 👍

And don't even get me started on the sudden rush toward psychology lately; it seems like people just crave that sense of power over others.

That kind of dynamic requires two sides: those who crave that control, and those who are all too willing to hand it over...

Anyone who realizes that doctors aren't gods finds things much easier to handle... and frankly, it makes life a lot easier for the doctors, too.

If you ask me, we’re looking at a total cultural obsession. Doctors have always been treated like rockstars—the most important, influential people in the room—and that mindset just stuck. It’s baked into the system because that's how they train the next generation...

As for what’s actually left of medicine today, who's even bothering to go through medical school anymore, and how much is actually being accomplished? That’s a whole different conversation...

Donna Wood52 said:Hey there!

Now, please—don't come for me just yet. I’m not talking about fetishes here; this is just an observation I've made. 👍

From what I can see with medical students, a lot of them act like they're some kind of superior species—which explains why so many grow up to have such massive egos. They're completely delusional.
I've actually met people like that personally, not to mention how everyone immediately jumps to say, "Oh, my friend is in med school, it's definitely the hardest major out there." Isn't that a little insulting to everyone else? To suggest that medicine is the absolute peak of difficulty? Don't get me wrong, med school is grueling, but you can't just claim it's the hardest. In my opinion, an Electrical Engineering degree is way more intense—not to mention Math, Physics, or even Pharmacy...

And don't even get me started on the people who enroll in medical school just because they want that "Dr." title attached to their name.
People love to preach that medicine is the most noble science, but doctors aren't always noble—honestly, quite a few are incredibly arrogant. Take the psychiatrist I saw recently: she couldn't even grasp that I was dealing with depression. She kept making these subtle digs at me under the guise of being "polite," and then, once I was actually feeling great, she had the nerve to tell me I still needed therapy. It feels like they just want the money; as if having $83 a week isn't enough for her. ☕ On top of that, she holds us for 45 minutes for $83. What can you even discuss in 45 minutes? It takes 15 minutes just to get settled in the chair. 🤷

They claim to heal people, but it breaks my heart when they refuse to take someone with a tumor simply because the patient is poor and can't afford the bill. That's when you see the true character of certain doctors.

Please, spare me the inappropriate comments. I am genuinely curious to hear your thoughts on what I've written here.

Well, I suppose this is where you truly see a person's true colors. Unfortunately, there isn't really a prerequisite for character when it comes to getting into medical school. It's true, I guess, that it would be much easier if people understood that doctors aren't all-powerful (after all, healing requires two sides, unless one is just looking for power), but it still remains that physicians, surgeons, psychologists, psychiatrists, and educators—more than most other professions—really need to work on their self-criticism and constant learning. Especially on being self-critical. I might even go so far as to say they need to work on humility, since their whole purpose is to serve someone else's health—their life and quality of life. Perhaps the high prestige of a doctor (acting almost like some sort of modern shaman) has something to do with how they are perceived subconsciously—or perhaps historically and culturally—as being particularly wise —though we know that in this day and age, given current schooling conditions, existential pressures, the general state of morality, and the sheer workload (which ties back to the overall healthcare system), that isn't really the case anymore. So, that image is mostly maintained from the outside, but, as redharbor9 mentioned, it starts from within—through the profession itself. For instance, the handing over of bribes—which is sometimes seen as a "custom" when receiving health services—is just one informal indicator that the issue stems from both outside and inside the profession. How strong the pressure for such informal codes of conduct is, is evidenced by a recent example in literature, showing that even a literary depiction of such an issue cannot be tolerated if it originates from within. 😉

Sarah Wood8 said:It’s honestly pathetic how your average hypochondriac usually ends up knowing more about medicine than actual doctors, often diagnosing themselves before a professional can even step into the room.
Most of these physicians are just straight-up nerds who don't actually grasp the fundamentals, which is a tragedy. Being a doctor is arguably the most responsible job out there, yet it usually boils down to people being nothing more than arrogant pretenders.
It reminds me of that news story from yesterday where a woman was complaining about abdominal pain, only for them to dismiss her as a liar—then they actually left a surgical tool inside her and tried to cover the whole thing up once it came to light.
In my opinion, people like that have no business holding a medical degree.
The issue isn't just the fact that they left an instrument inside her; the real problem is their dismissive reaction to her pain and their complete lack of initiative to even order an X-ray, followed by that blatant attempt at a cover-up. People with that mindset simply CANNOT be doctors.

So what now? Are we supposed to crucify every single doctor out there? Every profession has its fair share of bad actors, including medicine. 🙄
Medical errors aren't common, but when they happen, they usually can't be undone. That's exactly why being a doctor is such a heavy, high-stakes calling.

Sarah Wood8 said:It’s just like that news story yesterday—that woman complaining about abdominal pain, only to be told she was making it up, then they actually left a surgical tool inside her and tried to cover the whole thing up once it came to light.
In my opinion, people like that don't deserve to hold a medical degree.
The issue isn't even primarily about leaving the instrument behind; the real problem is their dismissive reaction to her pain and the total lack of initiative to just send her for an X-ray—not to mention the subsequent attempt at a cover-up. People with that mindset simply CANNOT be doctors.

Absolutely horrific! This is exactly what I’m talking about.

I once went to see a gynecologist to ask about birth control because I was worried about side effects, and he basically called me a narcissist. He nearly kicked me out of his office—just some old jerk.

And don't even get me started on all the cases where those gynecologists lose patients' babies due to pure negligence. Or how some procedures are performed without any general anesthesia. 😕 😕 And let me tell you, that hurts like hell. Even a cat gets general anesthesia for a neutering.

Then there was this one time I saw a dermatologist—believe it or not—$100 she charged me full price even though I wasn't even in her office for ten minutes. Plus, she was incredibly rude and unprofessional. 👎

I had a similar experience with another dermatologist; $83 I was only there for five minutes, but he was in such a rush that as I was walking out, he was practically flirting with the nurse.

There are plenty of cases like this...

I’m not saying every single one is incompetent, but there are far too many who are.

Donna Wood52 said:Absolutely horrific! This is exactly what I’m talking about.

I once went to see a gynecologist to ask about birth control because I was worried about side effects, and he basically called me a narcissist. He nearly kicked me out of his office—just some old jerk.

And don't even get me started on all the cases where those gynecologists lose patients' babies due to pure negligence. Or how some procedures are performed without any general anesthesia. 😕 😕 And let me tell you, that hurts like hell. Even a cat gets general anesthesia for a neutering.

Then there was this one time I saw a dermatologist—believe it or not—$100 she charged me full price even though I wasn't even in her office for ten minutes. Plus, she was incredibly rude and unprofessional. 👎

I had a similar experience with another dermatologist; $83 I was only there for five minutes, but he was in such a rush that as I was walking out, he was practically flirting with the nurse.

There are plenty of cases like this...

I’m not saying every single one is incompetent, but there are far too many who are.

Most of your topics are boring and stupid anyway, yet here you are posting on the forum again.☕

granitefalcon26 said:

Most of your topics are boring and stupid anyway, yet here you are posting on the forum again.☕

I’m sorry you’ve walked away with that impression, really, but I’m simply sharing my own experiences along with those of others.

Don't get worked up now! 🙂

Sarah Wood8;25109903 said:It’s honestly sad how the average hypochondriac seems to understand medicine better and can often land on the right diagnosis before the doctors even get a chance.
]It’s honestly sad how the average hypochondriac seems to understand medicine better and can often land on the right diagnosis before the doctors even get a chance.
Doctors are usually just straight-A nerds who don't actually grasp the concept, which is a shame. Being a doctor is one of the most responsible jobs out there, but it usually just boils down to them being full of themselves...[/B]
Just like that news story yesterday where a woman complained about stomach pains, they told her she was making it up, left a tool inside her, and then tried to cover it up once it came to light.
In my opinion, people like that don't deserve to be doctors.
The issue isn't even just about leaving the tool behind; it's their reaction to her pain and the total lack of effort to send her for an X-ray, plus the attempted cover-up at the end. People like that simply CANNOT be doctors.

No big deal. If that's the case, why go to a psychiatrist? Go see a herbalist and let them treat you instead.🙄
I could say the exact same thing about economists. We have plenty of them handling exports, yet we can't see the end of this economic crisis. Our economists are completely incompetent.
And what can you say about lawyers? Just pretentious nerds—starting with Obama—and we have everything else except a real rule of law.☕

granitefalcon26 said:I could say the exact same thing about economists. We hire them by the truckload, yet this economic crisis just refuses to end. Our economists are—to put it bluntly—completely incompetent.
And don't even get me started on lawyers. Self-important nerds—starting all the way back with Obama—we have everything else you could want, except an actual rule of law.☕

I actually agree with this one too! 👍
Lawyers! ☕ 🙄 And let's be honest—they're crooked, too.

Donna Wood52 said:I’m sorry you’ve walked away with that impression, really, but I’m simply sharing my own experiences along with those of others.

Don't get worked up now! 🙂

You can't paint everyone with the same brush. It’s just become this trendy witch hunt over here lately. 🙄
It doesn't matter how many lives you save; the second you make one tiny mistake, they're ready to crucify you.🙄

granitefalcon26 said:You can't just paint everyone with the same brush. It’s just become a modern-day witch hunt over here. 🙄
It doesn't matter how many lives you save—the second you slip up, even by a hair, they’re ready to crucify you.🙄

I am not generalizing. Far too many women have lost their babies during childbirth because of medical negligence—simply because doctors are stubborn, burnt out, or just plain indifferent.

A slip-up? A woman loses her child; that isn't some minor "error" to her. And then, to top it all off, these cases get swept under the rug. There are plenty of these incidents—it's not just about "if you mess up once." 🤷

Donna Wood52 said:I am not generalizing. Far too many women have lost their babies during childbirth because of medical negligence—simply because doctors are stubborn, burnt out, or just plain indifferent.

A slip-up? A woman loses her child; that isn't some minor "error" to her. And then, to top it all off, these cases get swept under the rug. There are plenty of these incidents—it's not just about "if you mess up once." 🤷

That’s not a common occurrence. You know that yourself. If it were, women would be having babies in Austria instead.
Why are doctors on edge? Because they're completely burnt out. They're working endless shifts with almost no time off. Our healthcare system is basically in a state of collapse.
Do you really think doctors only mess up here?
In the USA, a private clinic once amputated a perfectly healthy leg from a patient. And yet, nobody thought to declare all doctors in the USA incompetent because of that one disaster.🙄

It’s not that they lack the ability—far from it—but I get this distinct impression that they’re just incredibly cold-blooded.

It’s just small-town pettiness... you see it all the time in those tiny rural towns, where people show up to their doctor appointments carrying homemade cheeses, farm eggs, chickens, and all sorts of random grocery store stuff...😁

And then there’s the nurses. People bring them boxes of chocolates or candy assortments, apparently thinking it’ll make them act a little nicer toward patients. Honestly, even that gets on my nerves...

I mean, come on. It’s a job. They get paid to be there, and half the time we’re talking about life and death matters... what kind of logic is it that you actually need to bribe a doctor just to get them to do their damn job??

Besides, most of these general practitioners don't know anything... I have respect for surgeons and specialists, obviously—that’s not an easy gig...

But hey, there are plenty of other professions I respect just as much. So yeah, I'm totally immune to that whole "doctor charm" thing...😁

Donna Wood52 said:It’s not that they lack the ability—far from it—but I get this distinct impression that they’re just incredibly cold-blooded.

Well, I suppose they almost have to be cold-blooded. I mean, imagine if they actually let themselves get emotionally invested in every single case—that would be impossible to sustain all the time, for reasons we've already touched on earlier in this thread.

granitefalcon26 said:You can't paint everyone with the same brush. It’s just become this trendy witch hunt over here lately. 🙄
It doesn't matter how many lives you save; the second you make one tiny mistake, they're ready to crucify you.🙄

Of course, that's because you aren't allowed tomake a mistake through your own fault. That’s a different matter entirely from accidental errors or cases where there was simply nothing that could be done to save someone.

The point here, anyway, is trying to figure out the reasonwhy doctors are treated as if they are "higher beings"—even when they do make an actual mistake through their own negligence.😉

Chris Nelson26 said:It’s just small-town pettiness... you see it all the time in those tiny rural towns, where people show up to their doctor appointments carrying homemade cheeses, farm eggs, chickens, and all sorts of random grocery store stuff...😁

And then there’s the nurses. People bring them boxes of chocolates or candy assortments, apparently thinking it’ll make them act a little nicer toward patients. Honestly, even that gets on my nerves...

I mean, come on. It’s a job. They get paid to be there, and half the time we’re talking about life and death matters... what kind of logic is it that you actually need to bribe a doctor just to get them to do their damn job??

Besides, most of these general practitioners don't know anything... I have respect for surgeons and specialists, obviously—that’s not an easy gig...

But hey, there are plenty of other professions I respect just as much. So yeah, I'm totally immune to that whole "doctor charm" thing...😁

That's a total misconception. Being a GP in a small town is actually incredibly tough. You don't have a major hospital right next door to send someone to immediately. You have to be an expert in everything and handle a ton of different tasks, including minor surgical procedures.
Nowadays, the family medicine specialization is actually one of the hardest paths you can take. For instance, on the board exams, you have to be an absolute expert in internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, and neurology. They grill you on every single detail. First, you take a massive written exam (you need a 75% just to pass), then comes the practical portion and the theory. If you fail even one part, you're back to square one.
During residency, you rotate through every clinical department and pull overnight shifts in the ER. Then you have a year of postgraduate specialty training. You've got 40 different exams to clear. To wrap it all up, you take a comprehensive final test and an oral exam in front of a three-person board.
Yeah, that specialization is pretty brutal.