Nonetheless, most doctors have 8 years of training under their belt, plus passed multiple exams in order to get their license.
Passing exams is not a sign of competence. Any professor will tell you the same.
An example: I used to frequent a Starbucks where one of the baristas, a UCLA grad, couldn't count change. She also made tons of simple mistakes (for example, delivering dark roast when I asked for Pike Place). Dumb as a stump. Did well in school though. lol
No offence, but if / when I ever need medical attention, I'm pretty confident I'm going to listen to what the doctor says, versus rushing to WF to find out the best way to treat myself, because somebody found a Youtube video.
That sounds reasonable.
If I believe the doctor is wrong..., I'll go find a new one.
That's easier said than done. Doctors tend to deliver diagnoses as truths rather than best guesses. Patients are inclined to believe them because doctors are supposed to be the experts.
Here's an example:
Earlier this year, a friend of mine died from Lyme disease. How is that possible in 2015? His doctor misdiagnosed his symptoms. He said my friend had ALS.
The doc didn't say, "It could be ALS, but I'm not sure."
He said, "It's ALS. Let's start treatment."
Wrong.
The result? Dead patient.
The point is that it's not easy to know when a doctor is wrong. Hence, it's not easy to know when to look for another doctor.
I definitely won't ever believe I know more than the doctor when it comes to medicine though.
I see things differently than you (no surprise, right?). I believe I DO know more about some aspects of medicine than SOME doctors.
That claim is not as outrageous as it sounds. Doctors specialize. The best pour themselves into their respective specialties, learning about new findings, treatments and methods of diagnosis. That leaves them very little time to become experts in other areas.
For example, ask an orthopedic surgeon to explain how Takayasu Disease occurs. His training to become a doctor probably didn't cover it. He might be able to stumble his way through, but he's unlikely to have the expertise to provide an exhaustive explanation.
Meanwhile, consider a guy whose wife suffers from Takayasu Disease, and because of her illness has spent a ton of time examining every piece of research published in medical journals over the last 20 years. He probably knows more than the orthopedic surgeon.
Again, it's not an outrageous claim.
It's kinda the same as if I need legal advice, I'm not going to goto a mechanic.
That's fair. But suppose that mechanic has been through several divorces, and as a result of his dogged research, is extremely knowledgeable about divorce laws in his state. I'd consult him before consulting a criminal defense lawyer, the latter of whom is unlikely to provide good representation in a nasty divorce.
Here's an example that speaks to that point.
When I got out of college, I interned at Merrill (this is going back a few decades). One of the star brokers told me that his best source for stock tips was one of his clients: a mechanic.
The mechanic didn't have a series 7. He wasn't a CFP on the side. He fixed cars. But he was so knowledgeable about stocks that even a licensed investment advisor sought his advice.
It's not insane to consider the medical field in the same light.
