Would you rather have a very competent doctor or a very compassionate doctor?

Question

Obviously both. But which is more important?

Answer 1

Depends on the health problem I am having. If my problem is curable (most conditions are NOT), I want the doc that can do that for me. However, if my condition is chronic, with no cure, I would prefer a compassionate doctor to guide me in coping with and managing my chronic disease.

Answer 2

Competence trumps compassion. A good doctor is both. There are a few doctors like the mythical Dr. House who think so much of themselves that they are always rude, abandoning compassion. Their attitude discourages dialog and invites rejection.Compassion and competence are not mutually exclusive.

However, when a patient is denying an illness or ignoring a needed treatment regimen, the doctor needs to be frank and forthcoming about the consequences.

Answer 3

Competence.

Answer 4

What I want is a competant doctor, I can work with. That is not the same as compassion. I want to know my doctor understands my medical issue, is up on the current treatments, has experience enogh to choose the right treatments, and whom I can have confidence.

That won't fit every competent doctors of course.

Answer 5

If i were very ill I would want a competent doctor but, if I were a hypochondriac I would want a compassionate doctor.

Answer 6

Competent, of course! Give me Dr. House any day. I don't want a doctor compassionately telling me that he/she misdiagnosed my cancer and that I now have 2 months to live. I want a doctor that detected the cancer in the first place and already began treating it. Wouldn't you?

Answer 7

Competent. Thats the problem today everyone want to be spoken nice to. Don't hurt anyones feelings. Give me a break. Compassion won't heal you. Anyway thats what friends and family are for.