Why are a lot of doctors in the medical profession arrogant and rude?

Question

Why are a lot of doctors in the medical profession arrogant and rude?

Answer 1

Because they have a God complex due to the nature of their profession, or they lack social skills - they are tested at medical school on technical ability.

Answer 2

sometimes doctors are just percieved to be rude and so this is the role that they become. i have jus started medicial school and we have an interproffesional week, which basically means we work with a variet of other students from other professions. From day 1 there without me even saying anything there was already this misconception that i felt i was above everyone. I tried to sit back and let others take the lead, i involved myself but i didnt want them to think i was bossy!!! and i was told i wsa being lazy, or i was above them and so didnt take part. so when i did take the lead i had the response....oh all you med students think you are better than us and can boss us about?? so what am i meant to do. futhermore when i gave some of them advice on how to pass the essay component, members who had failed last time and had asked me for my help, i heard others behind my back saying that i thought i knew everything and why was i being condesending.....so perhaps the reason why doctors are rude and arrogant is because they are only treating others the way they themselves were treated....?! still im going to try my best to not turn into one of those doctors! ill let you know how it goes!

Answer 3

Interesting question. While I agree that a lot of doctors are arrogant and rude (I am a doctor myself) I would hope that not ALL are. Pulbic perception of physicians has really changed over time. Doctors used to be your friend downt he street who would make house calls and take phone calls at home. Insurance companies and lawyers have changed all of that. It is no longer the lucrative job it used to be. In fact, doctors are among the very few who have their salaries lowering each year rather than rising with inflation. Couple that with increasing malpractice insurance costs, ambulance chasing lawyers, and rising office costs and it puts quite a damper on the profession.



Hopefully those who go into medicine nowadays do it for love of the profession rather than the money. Other answers that speak of doctors becoming "jaded" through difficult training and abuse hold some truth. Medical school and residency are tough. In one study done by the Journal of the American Medical Association, they reported that over 90% of residents (doctors who have completed medical school and are in specialty training) have been verbally abused (defined as yelling or degrading speach in a public area) and over half have been physically abused (defined as a hit or slap at minimum).



The pressure is high. We have a profession where the slightest mistake would lead to harm or a lawsuit. How many times have you been to a restaurant where they got your order wrong? Did you think to get a lawyer and sue them for it? I often think that if I made as many mistakes as I witness on the outside, patients would die.



None of this is meant to excuse poor bedside manner. I think a lot of doctors forget how it feels to be ill and need someone's compassion and help. But, I hope that patients can sometimes understand that we are under a lot of pressure and probably work too hard (I have to see 25 patients a day to pay my mortgage and support my family). If a doctor is rude, don't take it personally. Being nice often is the best way to get good care. Being rude back will often lead to minimal care (doctors are human too!)

Answer 4

My dad is a doctor and I am sometimes embarassed because he can be very short with his patients when he's had a really long day (sometimes he doesn't get back until 9pm) or a lot of patients have wasted his time or one of his collegues has pissed him off.

He's normally such a happy chappy but I don't blame him when he gets annoyed, it's a tough job and at the end of the day, he's helping people to get better. I don't think a person should become a doctor if they don't have good social skills and they can't work with people well, as doctoring is supposed to be a caring profession.

Answer 5

At times I wonder if this is part of the entrance tests, how good are you at being grumpy? I think that by the time Drs get to there positions which can take 7 years plus, dealing with senior drs treating them as inadequate and then finally getting into a position of responsibility then when they see so many ungrateful clients, remember many return on a weekly basis just wasting time then they get to the end of their tether!! I can sympathise. I dont think that they realise that they do it and then it just becomes part of their lives. Heavy patient load, not enough hours in the day and then some argue that they are not getting paid enough.

Answer 6

From the doctor's I've known as friends, I can give three reasons.



(1) God complex. They have been taught to save lives and therefore feel powerful.



(2) Medical school and training (intern, resident) is very hard. You're criticized every day and have to deal with death (perhaps at your own hands). You need to develop a very thick skin to survive. This thick skin turns into arrogance.



(3) The field attracts the ambitious. People who are already arrogant go into medicine.



Of course, this is a generalization. There are some wonderful doctors with great bedside manner.

Answer 7

We have made them rich! They seem to have forgotten who is paying who!!!!Some Doctors are rude ,hateful,and could care less.But there are still a few out ther that are living up to their oath.Just make your selection carefully and if you don't like the service don't pay the bill!!!!I find that Specialist are much more understanding and caring and they charge far less that GP'sThe best thing that could happen to the USA is socialized Medical Care.Just ask the Canadians they will tell you all about itThey have a major Load taken off their lives and recieve wonderful medical treatment!!!!!E-mail some folks over there and check it out.Get informed!!!!!Good Luck!!!!!If you think they are mean to you believe me we do all the work and sometimes even make suggestions on the care of the patients and then they look down on us and treat us like crap for no reason!!!!!Good Luck !!!!

Answer 8

They realise that being a "dr" doesn't pull all the guys / girls and it is bloody hard work, no sleep and no social life. No-one respects them anymore, they get attacked every Friday and Saturday night when the drunks role in and basically no-one has the old school respect they used to have. jobs are hard to come by, their tutors / mentors lord over t hem and treat them like shite and they don't get the support they need.

Answer 9

i think it's all to do with respect.

drs have had to study hard and devote their life to trying to help the ill.

In return, gratitude is sparse and litigation is high. After a while, the kindness and good naturdeness becomes sparse. There is too much dr bashing and not enough thanks. Just imagine if all who were seen by drs were thankful and appreciative, realized that cure implies an improvement in life quality (not as much as expected by some) not repair like a car. Do you think that they would be arrogant and rude then?

Answer 10

I have worked with MDs for 30 years. I think they are the way they are because they are put on a pedestal by almost everyone. Somewhere along the line in their professional career they forget where they came from and what they are doing here; and treat not only their patients but their support staff in a manner that leaves a lot to be desired

Answer 11

Hmm.



That is not my experience.



Without exception all of the medical staff I have met, in the call of duty, have been most polite and have taken time to explain things thoroughly.



Sometimes I think the word patient applies more to the doctors than the patients!

Answer 12

that is a very good question & i am courious myself. my opionion is they are't trying to be rude they are just being strictly professional & simple people like us (me) take it as being rude. or maybe they just think since they are a doctor they are much better than the rest of us.i don't know but im putting this on my watch list, again good question!

Answer 13

Because they have studied hard ( 6-8 years)

and have a great deal of knowledge ( always kept updated )

And a high responsibility, to do the job correctly ; ( no second chance )

They work terrible long hours,in a stressful work situation

fear of litigation , around every corner !



Screech

A Saint would be arrogant and rude, occasionally,

under those, circumstanses !!!!!





>^,,^<

Answer 14

i am a nurse and dont believe this to be true, i think some of the old school drs can appear to be rude but i think its more of a school headmasxter attitude and they dont like it when you question them where as the younger drs coming through seem to be more polite and open to criticism??

Answer 15

i personally find most very friendly but years ago they were on a pedestal and they were rude and arrogant to the last word

Answer 16

They probably think that everyone is hypocondriacs and dont want to deal with idiots all day who think they have medical emergencies when its really just a cut on their pinky.

Answer 17

My boyfriend's theory is that they have been the dorks their whole life, with everyone making fun of them because they are big nerds. Finally they are in a position of power. It's kind of a Napoleonic complex; they do it to feel important.

Answer 18

They are not arrogant or rude - they are overworked and under heavy emotional pressure. They deal with all sorts of dreadful things all day long and may SEEM to be rude, but are just TIRED!

Answer 19

cuz they dont wanna get emotionally attached to their patients...

u know ... in such a profession...

ppl lose lives almost everyday....

u cant afford it if ur not a li'l cold to the ppl u meet

Answer 20

hard and long too study, and when a whise-nose student comes around and thinks he knows a lot and acts all tough, the professor probably gets pi**ed off

Answer 21

I agree...as a metter of fact, I went to one last night and he was a donkeydick

Answer 22

1) they r up their own arses

2) they r busy so try n do things asap therefore ignoring politness n manners

Answer 23

too tired to waste more time arguing. that and they can get away with it

Answer 24

What a stupid question.



How many Dr's have you actually dealt with?

Answer 25

i dnt knw but i make thar question to my self too

Answer 26

Because people like you are annoying and always complaining it is never ok for you

Answer 27

Probably hungover from too much booze

Answer 28

because they get paid no matter what

Answer 29

not enough sleep!!!!