Most human beings strive to become popular. It is a way to get attention in this world. But should a doctor strive to be popular amongst his patients ? Why?
But why doctors are usually arrogant and have poor bedside manners? Do Doctors not care about the impression they make? I have developed a hypothesis on that. When people get sick, they become very vulnerable. Even though they may hate going to the doctors, they may hate needles and MRIs and tongue depressors, they will still come running to the doctors to get better. After all the survival instinct is the strongest of all instincts. On the other hand, as we physicians pass through the rigourous hard labor of medical school and residency, we become less sensitive. Remember how a cadaver in the first year of medical school sent shivers down your spine, and yet now you hardly pause after a code blue.
So here you have a situation where people need a doctor, no matter how they behave to them. And as more patients tolerate such behavior, the physicians become more arrogant and abrupt. Now I am not saying all of us are like that, but lets admit it we all know someone who is.
Why should physicians be polite and project good bed side manners? Here are seven reasons why?:
1) Customers love Customer Service: Patients put a lot of emphasis on a good bed side manners.
2) Patients will respect their doctor, if the doctor respects them.
3) If the doctor is popular among his patients, he doesn’t need even a single penny in advertising cost. They will happily do all the boasting for him.
4) If something goes wrong, the arrogant MD is most likely to get sued.
5) Just like good reputation brings more patients to the medical practice, a bad reputation will stop others from coming.
6) If you are nice to someone when they are sick and down, they will become fiercly loyal to you.
7) One act of rudeness wil wipe out all the goodwill generated by a good treatment.
Next series of post will discuss how to become a popular doctor.