Are you really a doctor?

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

I went to the doctors yesterday. For some reason when I came back on the plane from Perth, I picked up a

really awful flu/virus/cold thingy. My colds usually last one day, if that, then disappear. Usually everyone around me is dying and I am the only one who has turned up to work! This cold has lasted a good 2 weeks.

The doctor ONLY listened to my lungs after I asked him to do it. Otherwise he said just get an updated flu shot, and take cold and flu tablets, but find they dry me up too much. My lungs felt gunky, phlegmy, congested and my chest hurt to breathe, but he said they sounded OK. He also refused to give me antibiotics (I didn't make a big deal out of it), but it would have been good to have them as a back up. This doctor has been in our town for a few years now from an eastern country, and I have worked with him up at our local hospital and don't think much of his surgical skills.

My Mum saw him yesterday and I swear to God she has bronchitis/pneumo just listening to her. He didn't even listen to her lungs at all!

One of my gf's said her hubby had had shocking sinus pain & violent headaches, couldn't even go to work for like 3 days, went to see a doctor and the doctor didn't even examine him! He just said take pain killers, didn't suggest a scan to look for any other mysterious cause, etc.

Are they slack because they see the same 'little' complaints all the time, or they just aren't good doctors?

I just wonder - did these doctors get their degrees off the back of a cornflakes packet? Has anyone had similar experiences with foreign doctors in their home town?

I am getting really sick of it myself.

[Scrubby]

I sometimes wonder the same thing myself! I had appendicitis about ten years ago, went to the GP and they said I had a stomach bug. A day later I was in hospital and had surgery to remove my appendix.

I sometimes think they see the same things all the time and get kind of slack on investigating things like lung sounds, temp and just say 'take two panadol and stay in bed'.

[sassy_squirrel]

I have to say I've been lucky with doctors on the most part. I changed a doctor coz I didn't feel he was listening to me but yeah. I usually get my lungs checked when I'm sick but that could just be coz they know I get chest infections a lot. Hope you are feeling better.