What are some of the qualities that a doctor need to have?

Question

Tthe doctor needs to be compassionate, intelligent..or what?

Answer 1

I have had many doctors the last 3 years. I was diagnosed with 3 auto immune diseases and hypertension and I move out of state and had to get new doctors. The one quality I really want is for the doctor to listen to what I have to say and believe me. Second is to show concern and compassion.
I am always aware, though, that 50% of all doctors graduated in the lower half of there class. Ann Landers had that in a column years ago and it has stuck with me.

Answer 2

The ability to really listen to the patient, (I mean really listen).

They must also be compassionate, empathetic, a good bed side manner and understanding of a persons ability to deal with illness/injuries etc varies. And obviously the skills to diagnose, treat and manage a patients health. And keeping abreast of new skills and information on a regular basis.

Answer 3

That has been addresses in the earlier answers...what can you do...to be less depended and to take more responsibilities. Once I had a patient and she had been sick since she was 14. She was 28 and she cried and cried. She had chronic pains and had heart problems. She said nobody wants to help me and I have done everything the doctors told me to do...Many patients get many medicine prescribed and those have severe side effects. So be aware when you visit doctors and be well informed and listen to your inner voice...is this what I need?

Answer 4

Skill, compassion, education, a pleasant bedside manner - all of these qualities and many more go into a great doctor. But how do you find one, especially if you need a cancer specialist? A bit of investigation can help you find a doctor who can provide not only the best care, but the kind of care you want.
In many cases, a primary care physician diagnoses cancer and provides names of specialists. Doctors are usually familiar with their colleagues' qualifications and practices. Ask your primary care physician and other doctors you know to recommend specialists they consider most qualified to treat your particular type of cancer. Ask about the specialist's practice style, and communication skills. Nurses can also be a valuable source of insightful and unbiased information about the doctors they work closely with.

If you belong to a managed care plan, you may need to check the plan's physicians before selecting a specialist. Friends, family members and acquaintances who have had cancer can also provide important information about their physicians. If they do, inquire about their treatments, how long they saw the doctor and their outcome. You may also want to inquire about the rapport the patient had with the doctor, and whether or not they felt comfortable asking questions and discussing care options with their doctor.

More Answers Please
Another starting point is the American Medical Association's website at www.ama-assn.org, which provides a referral service called Physician Select. This database provides the name, phone numbers, office address, medical school and residency program attended, and board certification status of nearly all licensed physicians in the United States.

Medseek at www.medseek.com also offers a doctor search, but the information is somewhat basic, listing only the doctor's name, address and phone number.

Many doctors call themselves specialists, which means they studied an area of medicine intensely and devote much of their practice to it. Doctors can become certified specialists by completing training and passing a test given by an accreditation board. To maintain their certification, most boards require doctors to continue their education and re-test every seven to 10 years.

The American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) represents 24 medical specialty boards and helps patients verify a doctor's credentials through a service called CertifiedDoctor. The website is www.abms.org. CertifiedDoctor searches by city and by name. If you already have a doctor's name and you want to find out his exact specialty, the service will provide each doctor in a given area. However, if you enter a specialty, the listings will only be those doctors who have paid a fee to be listed.

The Directory of Medical Specialists, which many libraries carry, can also verify a doctor's accreditation.

State, county and local health departments can provide further information. The Association of State Medical Board Executive Directors provides a service called DocFinder, which provides background on doctors in certain states on its website at www.docboard.org. By typing in the doctor's name, DocFinder gives his or her education, training and any disciplinary action taken against a doctor. The drawback is only 14 states currently provide information to this service. For further information, each state's medical board has current disciplinary information.

You can also check if the doctor is affiliated with a medical school or teaching hospital. Many educators are leaders in their fields and are knowledgeable about research and treatments. Doctors affiliated with smaller hospitals are also highly skilled and knowledgeable, and the complexity of your health problem is an important factor in deciding whether or not to select a doctor involved in research and teaching.

Once the search has been narrowed down to a few doctors, make appointments for interviews and ask plenty of questions, including:


Where did you attend medical school, internship and residency?
How long have you been practicing?
How many patients did you treat last year with my condition?
Are you involved in experimental or new treatments?
Doing the research can be time consuming - but worth it. Putting in the effort up-front means finding a doctor who is best for you and saves time and hassle in the long run.

Answer 5

He must go through Medical School, have good health and be willing to work 16 hours a day. He is always on call to help others.

Answer 6

Willing to work hard, perseverance, attention to detail, scientific interest, patience, understanding, empathy, compassion, able to put people at ease, able to relate to all kinds of people.........