Which specialty has the BEST doctor-patient relationship?

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Dawkter

Dawkter

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Since the "best kept secret" thread blew up, thought I would pose another interesting question out there. From what I hear, most people would probably say heme-onc has the best doctor patient relationship.

However, I would give the nod to orthopedic surgery on this one. Fix the knee/ankle of an up and coming athlete and I am sure the gratitude and sense of accomplishment is incredible. Think about how Amare Stoudemire's surgeon must feel to know that his patient is back to playing at all star level post micofracture knee surgery. I am sure Amare has utmost gratitude for the work his surgeon performed.

Thoughts?
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Dawkter said:
Since the "best kept secret" thread blew up, thought I would pose another interesting question out there. From what I hear, most people would probably say heme-onc has the best doctor patient relationship.

However, I would give the nod to orthopedic surgery on this one. Fix the knee/ankle of an up and coming athlete and I am sure the gratitude and sense of accomplishment is incredible. Think about how Amare Stoudemire's surgeon must feel to know that his patient is back to playing at all star level post micofracture knee surgery. I am sure Amare has utmost gratitude for the work his surgeon performed.

Thoughts?
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+1 on ortho, on the basis that the patients are content with the physician and have repeated contact with eachother.
 
Yeah giving the nod to ortho, a lot of those patients post arthroplasty seem really happy (after the initial week of torture).

Would also say that Paeds-docs have a really interesting dynamic with their patients.
 
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PM&R! We keep patients forever and make their pain better.
 
Family practice physicians. Long-term relationships with their patients that can span several generations of a single family.
 
Dawkter said:
Since the "best kept secret" thread blew up, thought I would pose another interesting question out there. From what I hear, most people would probably say heme-onc has the best doctor patient relationship.

However, I would give the nod to orthopedic surgery on this one. Fix the knee/ankle of an up and coming athlete and I am sure the gratitude and sense of accomplishment is incredible. Think about how Amare Stoudemire's surgeon must feel to know that his patient is back to playing at all star level post micofracture knee surgery. I am sure Amare has utmost gratitude for the work his surgeon performed.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Seems like you and I have a slightly different view of what "best doctor patient relationship" means.

Someone may be extremely grateful that a Coast Guard rescue diver saved their kid, but that doesn't mean they have a strong relationship with that diver.
 
Dawkter said:
Since the "best kept secret" thread blew up, thought I would pose another interesting question out there. From what I hear, most people would probably say heme-onc has the best doctor patient relationship.

However, I would give the nod to orthopedic surgery on this one. Fix the knee/ankle of an up and coming athlete and I am sure the gratitude and sense of accomplishment is incredible. Think about how Amare Stoudemire's surgeon must feel to know that his patient is back to playing at all star level post micofracture knee surgery. I am sure Amare has utmost gratitude for the work his surgeon performed.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

kautionwirez said:
+1 on ortho, on the basis that the patients are content with the physician and have repeated contact with eachother.
Click to expand...

rigid said:
Yeah giving the nod to ortho, a lot of those patients post arthroplasty seem really happy (after the initial week of torture).
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Are you asking for the most gratifying specialty or the specialty with the "best" patient-doctor relationships?

Remember that relationships are a two-way street. If you have a patient feeling like they are your ONLY patient in the world, but you can't remember their name or CC the next time you see them, then the relationship is not so great, is it?

I love orthopods, but their patient volume is ridiculous. There's no time to develop relationships with patients when you see them for 5 minutes every other month after surgery. Hematology/Oncology, however, can spend an hour or so of time with patients per visit. I've got no preference toward heme/onc, I'm just using the example you used.

Ortho is obviously a gratifying specialty, but I wouldn't think it would be very high up on the "best" relationship list. This is just my opinion. I'm sure there are many great relationships orthopedic surgeons have with their patients, as with all other medical specialties.
 
Freakfarm0 said:
Are you asking for the most gratifying specialty or the specialty with the "best" patient-doctor relationships?

Remember that relationships are a two-way street. If you have a patient feeling like they are your ONLY patient in the world, but you can't remember their name or CC the next time you see them, then the relationship is not so great, is it?

I love orthopods, but their patient volume is ridiculous. There's no time to develop relationships with patients when you see them for 5 minutes every other month after surgery. Hematology/Oncology, however, can spend an hour or so of time with patients per visit. I've got no preference toward heme/onc, I'm just using the example you used.

Ortho is obviously a gratifying specialty, but I wouldn't think it would be very high up on the "best" relationship list. This is just my opinion. I'm sure there are many great relationships orthopedic surgeons have with their patients, as with all other medical specialties.
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Agreed. Ortho definitely does NOT have the best doctor-patient relationship... As a litmus, notice that ortho surgeons have the fourth highest # of mal-practice claims filed annually. It's an awesome specialty with awesome docs, but they still face significant challenges in patient care and complications.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images...alpractice/17economix-malpractice-blog480.jpg (from NEJM earlier this year)

You could make a good argument that any specialty dealing with incontinence has the best relationship. Uro, GYN, geriatrics etc... I'd agree with PM&R, as well.
 
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I vote ophtho.

Ophthos never tell you that you're too fat, need to lose weight, exercise, or start a diet (usually). Often they just see you for simple things (glasses/contacts) on an annual basis and everyone is happy.

The retina guys have frequest visits from their patients who are typically on the brink of blindness. Their laser/cryo/whatever procedures to reattach detached retinas/bleeding/etc preserves vision which makes the patients ultra-grateful.

The Lasik guys let their patients go glasses free. After cataract surgery patients see much better instantly and are typically happy. Fixing someone's lazy eye? They will love you for life.
 
Dawkter said:
Since the "best kept secret" thread blew up, thought I would pose another interesting question out there. From what I hear, most people would probably say heme-onc has the best doctor patient relationship.

However, I would give the nod to orthopedic surgery on this one. Fix the knee/ankle of an up and coming athlete and I am sure the gratitude and sense of accomplishment is incredible. Think about how Amare Stoudemire's surgeon must feel to know that his patient is back to playing at all star level post micofracture knee surgery. I am sure Amare has utmost gratitude for the work his surgeon performed.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...


Podiatrists, they help all the old ladies who complaining about their aching feet.
 
xanthomondo said:
I vote ophtho.

Often they just see you for simple things (glasses/contacts) on an annual basis and everyone is happy.
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Do opthos actually do glasses/contacts? I thought that was the realm of optometrists...
 
D elegans said:
Do opthos actually do glasses/contacts? I thought that was the realm of optometrists...
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That is mostly our realm but there is overlap. Such as optos who prescribe medications and treat some eye diseases and ophthos who prescribe/dispense eye glasses/contacts.
 
Geekchick921 said:
Your blog cracks me up on the regular... just sayin'. 🙂
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Thanks, Geekchick 🙂

Here's a vote against ortho. Most surgeons don't have the best bedside manner, but I'd have to say ortho is one of the worst.

Oncologists probably do have good relationships with patients, although I'll always be biased because I rotated with an intelligent but really caustic oncologist. I'll never forget the deadpan way he informed a patient that her cancer was bad enough that she needed to start chemo.
 
I vote for sleep medicine.

If someone has moderate or severe sleep apnea (or any reason for highly disturbed sleep) and if/when you fix this they absolutely LOVE you.

I also think cardiologists and OB-GYN's have good relationships with their patients.
 
Psychiatry. It is all about the doctor-patient relationship in psych. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
xanthomondo said:
I vote ophtho.

Ophthos never tell you that you're too fat, need to lose weight, exercise, or start a diet (usually). Often they just see you for simple things (glasses/contacts) on an annual basis and everyone is happy.

The retina guys have frequest visits from their patients who are typically on the brink of blindness. Their laser/cryo/whatever procedures to reattach detached retinas/bleeding/etc preserves vision which makes the patients ultra-grateful.

The Lasik guys let their patients go glasses free. After cataract surgery patients see much better instantly and are typically happy. Fixing someone's lazy eye? They will love you for life.
Click to expand...

Don't opthos routinely see patients with diabetes and hypertension? If they're starting to show signs of retinopathy do they just give them the 👍 or do they tell them they are too fat, need to lose weight, exercise, and start a diet unless they're okay with going blind?

danielmd06 said:
I vote for sleep medicine.

If someone has moderate or severe sleep apnea (or any reason for highly disturbed sleep) and if/when you fix this they absolutely LOVE you.

I also think cardiologists and OB-GYN's have good relationships with their patients.
Click to expand...

I'm going to say ob-gyn as well. You can have really long lasting relationships, help to deliver multiple babies for one woman, help sensitive subjects like STDs/infertility/incontinence/prolapse. Some patients bring in pictures of their babies.

Really though, I think any physician can have a great doctor-patient relationship and that's what we should strive for.
 
Miss Alyssa said:
Don't opthos routinely see patients with diabetes and hypertension? If they're starting to show signs of retinopathy do they just give them the 👍 or do they tell them they are too fat, need to lose weight, exercise, and start a diet unless they're okay with going blind?
Click to expand...

Yes, both optos and ophthos tell their patients to lose weight and change their lifestyle. Some patients get pissed off and complain even, that an "eye doctor" would care about their weight.
 
This is easy. Anything that insurance and government doesn't pay for. Cosmetic surgery, LASIK, subspecialties of ortho, orthodontics, dentistry, etc. And the counter opposite is true for family practice, ER, etc. The more middlemen between doctor and patient, the worse the interaction.
 
I will second family medicine... there are so many people that talk about their FPs and how their doctor delivered them and now will be delivering their child. Of course if you two don't get along it can be a very long miserable relationship.
 
Rheum and benign-heme: many of your patients have chronic, difficult-to-manage diseases that require a strong physician-patient relationship (I would add neuro, but 99% of neurologists are social r*t*rds)
 
Would like to add another to the list, OB. Seems as though patients really appreciate a caring OB physician to carry them through one of the most important times of their life. The relationship is acute but one of great respect.
 
Going with Derm and Pain Medicine. Make someone more beautiful or take their pain away and they will be forever grateful.
 
Heme/Onc by far. These patients have long-term followup and more frequent followup than any other patients. If you come in every month for a checkup while getting your chemo, and sometimes even more frequently, accompanied by your family and friends for support, it's not really surprising how close the doctor-patient relationship gets. That's why sometimes it's pretty devastating when there's a death even if you've been expecting it to happen for some time.
 
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