How to choose a doctor

How how do you get a doctor to consult? You can call the medical society and ask them for a list of reputable licensed doctors. A qualified man will be a graduate of a qualified medical school and will probably have had an internship. He will probably be on the staff of a hospital. He will be licensed as a doctor by the state in which you live.

An ethical doctor does not send out or publish advertisements about himself and his competence. He usually has an established place of residence and an office in a building or in his home. He will be well and favorably known in the community, including his church, lodge, and service club groups.

A competent doctor will take an interest in you as a person as well as an interest as a patient. A good doctor is not reluctant to request another opinion if it seems to be needed in any case, nor does he object to being dismissed and having another doctor summoned if for any reason the patient has lost confidence.

The decision as to what and how much a doctor should tell the patient or the family about an illness must rest with the doctor. He will make his decision on the basis of his knowledge of the person and of the family. Most doctors are unwilling to lie to patients or their families to serve some doubtful psychological purpose. Yet circumstances may arise when the patient’s fears are such as to demand that the doctor dissemble in giving his verdicts.

You, as a patient, owe your doctor your confidence and all the help that you can give him in finding out what is wrong. You owe him compliance in following his instructions, if you want to get the maximum benefit of his knowledge and experience.