|  | Do Doctors Always Know Best? Doctors may think they know it all, but a new study paints a very different picture. In fact, the findings suggest that many docs have inflated views of their own capabilities. What does that mean to you and me? That the doctor is not always right, and you have every right to second guess him.
It gets better: The doctors rated the worst performers by other people were the same ones who gave themselves the highest marks. So there are some doctors who truly can't judge themselves in a professional sense; they just assume they're right, even when they may be far off the mark.
The researchers set out to determine the overall accuracy of doctors' self-assessments. To do that, they studied the data from 17 studies comparing what the doctors thought of themselves to the assessment of an objective reviewer. The results of two-thirds of those studies showed that doctors were overestimating their competence.
Doctors take lots of continuing education - they have to in order to keep their medical licenses in good standing. These courses keep them up to date on the latest developments, and provide support for weaker skill areas. But since doctors themselves judge which areas they are weakest in ...and seem to get that wrong a lot of the time...they may not be taking the courses they really need to be as good as they think they are.
The best doctors know they don't know everything, and they aren't afraid to send you somewhere else for a second opinion or further diagnosis. If you question your doctor, that should open the doorway for discussion. If he slams that door shut, and refuses to entertain the idea that you could be suffering from something other than what he's diagnosed, consider finding a new doctor. | |  | | | | | Back to top | | |
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