Similar experience?

[DOPhD student]

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Hi, I'm a third year surgery DO extern who recently saw a patient in the hospital. He complained of classical symptoms of GERD for almost a year. The patient told me he had been going to a local FP MD who basically brushed him aside after performing some cardiac stress test and EKG. This MD had told him there was nothing wrong with him or nothing more could be done. Fortunately after switching insurance plan, he was recommended by his boss to see a local DO FP who referred him to the GI DO for EGD, esophageal manometry, and 24 hr pH which revealed that the patient had esophagitis secondary to a sliding hiatal hernia. He was referred to the DO surgeon ho performed the laparoscopic Nissen fundiplication, and the patient is now completely free of reflux symptoms. He shook my and surgeon's hands and told us that he thought people involved in the DO profession had been very attentive in their examinations and they strive more to look for the etiology than just deal with the present ache and pain. I know this is a unique experience as not all patients will have the same positive perspective of the profession, but that sort of comment made my day because really, who is best suited to judge a physician than a satisfied patient? I'm just curious if any of you have a similar experience as a student?

 

[climber]

My bro-in-law was having tremendous headaches and his MD FP would not give his complaints any creedence, even though he had had a lung tumor removed 5 yrs earlier. He went to another MD, same story (except this one gave him "really good" headache meds). He went to another FP who was a DO, and he did a more comprehensive work up and history. The DO directed him to a top neurosurgeon who was an MD but that isn't the point. 2 days later he had surgery to remove a orange-sized tumor with a blood source near his brainstem. The surgeon said that it was growing so rapidly that he would have probably died in a week or two. A DO saved his life.

 

[Freeeedom!]

Actually this is funny...
I worked fast track once when the following was observed by me.
A patient walks in the fast-track with a cough.
A Nurse in Practioner "training" walks in to evaluate the patient.
25 minutes later, the student NP walks out and states... "Do we have any aeresolized epinephrine because she may be having a stroke!"
We responded "What? Why do you think that?"
She stated "Because she is talking in a whisper and I don't think she is smiling quite right"

You may ask yourself, " Self, none of that even makes sense!" And you would be correct, the diagnosis, the treatment, and the evaluation were all incorrect...welcome to world of student NP's.

Thank God I went to Medical School!