Posted by JohnL on June 27, 2000, at 4:57:28
In reply to Re: Ignorant but with the power to prescribe, posted by Andre Allard on June 27, 2000, at 1:07:38
> I wonder if this doc is an old one. Many old school docs are anti medication period, let alone anything to do with depression. When they were going to school and first beginning their practice the only thing they had for depression at the time was horse tranquilizers. Do not worry about him, just get another pdoc. I have seen two GPs in the last two years that were at least seventy and I'll tell ya, they were way, way past their time.
I've seen my share of numbskull psychiatrists too. It continually amazes me how many years (decades?) they invested into college, pre-med, med school, and then residency to end up being so out of it. How can that be? I don't get it.
My experience with older pdocs though is just the opposite of Andre's. My pdoc is in his 70's, and he's the coolest and sharpest I've ever known. He's learned and shared with me that there is no favorite medication; matching diagnosis to medication is futile; their is no favorite strategy. This is all because each patient has a unique personality; a unique set of circumstances; unique genes; and a unique chemistry underlying their particular symptoms. All these factors have to be put into a customized approach for each and every individual patient. He admits that only through trial and error can we find the right medication. But he also admits that medication reactions provide clues to understanding what chemistry we're dealing with. Clues to help pinpoint the next drug choice with greater odds of success.
I would be hard pressed to find any younger doctors who take these things into account. They just aren't trained that way. I only know of one. On the contrary, they all seem to have their own favorite antidepressants. Their favorite flow charts...what's first, what next, and so on. And they all tend to match diagnosis with medication. Depression = antidepressant. So often it just doesn't work that way.
Regardless of age, I think what really matters is how passionate the physician is with his/her work. Have you ever noticed that people who are in love with their work in any profession are also the ones that tend to shine above the others? Passion. That's a good quality to look for. A pdoc who is passionate with what they do will automatically be up with the latest research, be thinking of how to improve things, even during off time. And of course, know the technicals of every drug fluently.
Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience with this numbskull pdoc. I needed a good laugh. Sadly though, it isn't much to laugh about is it. Rather depressing actually.
poster:JohnL
thread:38370
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000619/msgs/38425.html