Dilemma: Should I get a new doctor?

[Bouncy Ball]

Background: my doctor is a VERY good doctor. I trust his professional opinion, he is super nice and professional. Friendly, warm, but not in a superficial or smarmy way, ever. Just genuinely nice, and good at what he does.

So what's the problem?

His office. Crucifixes on the wall, his personal testimony in a frame (titled "How to Live"), blessings he typed up for his three children and also has framed on the wall ("Son, I pray that you never feel at home in this world and that you fear God every moment of your life....I pray that you may find Him in the Rapture," etc.).

Now it IS called the Methodist Family Health Center. So I knew going in what it was about. But the other three doctors in the practice don't have a bit of religious stuff anywhere in their offices. It'd be kinda weird to just start insisting on seeing one of them, wouldn't it?

I don't exactly know what my problem is, except that it creeps me out. I'm a Christian myself, but....I don't know.

Then I went this morning (by the way, my cholesterol is way down!! YAY!!!) and he told me how he was just in Indonesia, helping the tsunami victims. I swallowed hard and asked if he went as part of a "missionary group." He smiled and said "Oh yes, what a wonderful opportunity to bring the beauty of Christianity to those poor people."

My stomach turned. I don't believe in that. I hate the whole "give up the comfort of your false faith and worship MY God and I'll help you" stuff. Just HELP them, dammit.

So when I left, I felt even more creeped out than ever. Problem: he truly is a good doctor.

:shrug:

[Bouncy Ball]

1. While I'm at it

I'm also conflicted about our veterinarian. Great guy, FANTASTIC vet. But the last time we went, for shots for our dog, I turned to my left and saw, on the wall, a FRAMED letter from bush, thanking the vet for sending him his support on the war in Iraq!!!!!!!


AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I threw up a little bit in my mouth. My daughter pointed it out and gasped loudly then looked at me and said "EWWWW, Momma! Look at that!"

bush mentioned God about seven times in the letter. MY VET WROTE HIM SUPPORTING HIM IN THIS IMMORAL UNJUST WAR!!!!

We don't go to the vet very often, but I'm afraid I just can't abide that. Seriously. That was just gross.

[murielm99]

6. I think I agree more about the vet than the doctor.

We used to go to an excellent doctor who was obviously very Catholic. He has since retired.

He had a crucifix in his office. He had a prayer on his wall, that I found very beautiful. It asked God to guide him, as a doctor, to understand his patients' pain and fear. It asked God to help him with his healing.

I was not offended by any of it. I thought it was a very nice expression of his devotion.

He did not do my husband's vasectomy, probably because of his Catholicism. But he did not say anything about it, either. He just had someone else in the practice do it. But I guess his expressions of faith were more tasteful than your doctor's.

Good doctors are hard to find. Just ignore it, unless he tries to proselytize you. Then ask to see another doctor in the practice. If he asks why, tell him what made you uncomfortable.

[Bouncy Ball]

7. Hmmm

this is good advice. He has never proselytized (but I guess his testimony on the wall counts?) and I wouldn't have known he was on that missionary trip had I not asked.

[Ian David]

2. Kick him to the curb and tell him why

Do you really want a fundie making medical decisions for you when things like birth control, termination of life support, stemcells and "lifestyle" issues are things that we know the xian right has issues with?

I wouldn't trust anyone who worships single-cells to take care of my whole body.

[Bouncy Ball]

5. Well

birth control, etc isn't really an issue for us anymore, but if he IS the type of physician who lobbies against stem cell research, against the right to die, etc, then I don't want to give him my business. I guess the only way to find out is to ask.

[Bunny]

15. Your comment about termination of life support is a good one.

Would the doctor support Bouncy's advanced directives, if she has any?
Or would he try to keep her alive, and let the "Good Lord" take her in His time?

[Bouncy Ball]

26. That is a valid consideration

and one I hadn't thought of. I do have a living will, as does my husband. We don't want any heroic measures to be taken, if there is no hope of recovery.

I'll have to ask him about this next time I see him.

[Floogeldy]

3. Dump the vet, keep the MD

[jswordy]

4. My doc is a Republican

I personally do not let belief systems cloud my judgment on who I see for professional diagnostics. If the doc is an excellent clinician, that's good enough for me.

I mean, otherwise where would it stop? I can't buy a burger from that minimum wage burger flipper because he's Christian? But I can buy one from the burger flipper standing next to him, cuz he's a Democrat?

You know, the only way that stuff gets to me is if I let it do so. I am not going to leave my excellent doctor cuz he voted for Bush.(BTW, my previous doc, who misdiagnosed me twice to cause me to leave him, was a Democrat.)

[Ian David]

8. Being a Republican means he's not qualified to vote

Being a fundamentalist done-been-born-aginn means he's not qualified to practice medicine.

You can buy a hamburger from anyone you want so long as they wash their hands after they use the toilet.

[Bouncy Ball]

9. Yeah, I'm not so concerned about the politics of someone

preparing a hamburger. I am concerned about that fast food company's politics. Which is why I only buy blue whenever and whereever I can.

But the guy preparing it? Not so much.

[jswordy]

12. Sorry, but yer outta yer freakin' tree with that.

Being a fundamentalist done-been-born-aginn means he's not qualified to practice medicine.

That statement is ludicrous, even for a DU post! Sigh.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. I was with you until

"even for a DU post".

[jswordy]

29. You mean to tell me that you don't find....

...some DU posters who are waaaaay out there? Not everyone. But I sure do. But that one was even waaaaaay oooooouuuuut there farther than the freakiest DU posts I have seen.

That's what I meant.

Heh...this is hilarious: "Sure, I'm liberal. That's why I HATE EVERYONE who does not think like I do. It's a liberal attribute."

Uh, no it ain't!

ROFLMFAO!

[Ian David]

37. Sorry, I think I failed to be clear in what I meant...

I don't care-- and neither should anyone else-- what someone believes in or how they worship in their private life.

But if a woman is raped she should try and avoid going to the emergency room at a Catholic hospital. Why? Because they won't tell her about emergency contraception, for one thing.

I would not trust a doctor who does not believe in critical aspects of medical care that I might need.

I don't care if he believes Jesus speaks to him personally every night.

I don't care if he believes that Jesus speaks to him and tells him to shove pine cones up his ass and sing "Silent Night."

When I DO start to care is when he believes Jesus doesn't want him to EVER terminate life support no matter what.

If he believes that a gay partner has no business visiting a patient or making their medical decisions by proxy.

If he believes that emergency contraception is murder.

If he believes that embryonic stem-cell therapy is murder.

There are actual DOCTORS in Michigan who just got a law passed that allows them to refuse to treat gay people (The Conscientious Objector Policy Act). THOSE people are not qualified to practice medicine.

It is those particular fundie beliefs-- not the fact that he is a fundamentalist-- that would make him un-qualified to practice medicine.

I'm sorry, I was just being lazy when I did not explain myself better.

[jswordy]

39. Oh-Kay...so I'm just curious...how do you find it out?

I have a living will, so my doc will do what it says by law, as far as life support and etc.

What should one do? Make an appointment with a prospective doc and then grill him or her on political issues and beliefs before choosing?

You know, where I live, Bush won 64-36. That means the likelihood I will find a leftie doc who is also an excellent diagnostician is rather slim.

[Eurobabe]

10. I went to a dentist who was a Scientologist

and that creeped me out enough to find another dentist pronto, esp. when she wanted to do all kind of crowns and dental work!

I want to surround myself with people who have similar mindsets on core issues, and that means no proselytizing!!

[madrchsod]

16. of course she wanted to do all that work

she needed the money to pay her way to e meter

[jswordy]

34. No, she was not a good dentist, and that had...

...nothing to do with Scientology, it had to do with her desire to make a profit being pre-eminent over her health care ethics.

I have been to dentists like that, and docs and chiros. Had nothing to do with their politics nor their religion. Had to do with the Porsche payments and the gold fees and the big house.

I look for excellent clinicians who are interested in keeping me healthy and looking out for my best interests as a patient...not looking for ways to send my wallet on a diet.

Best dentist we ever had was a Jewish guy who was gonna retire in a decade and had stopped taking new patients. His dental chairs and such were older equipment, he'd long paid for them, and he was on the state board of dentistry practice review. Excellent guy with no financial pressures to drive him. He spoiled me for all of them since.

[Floogeldy]

11. I went to a mechanic who worshipped Satan

[Bouncy Ball]

13. And how'd that go?

[jswordy]

14. I'll bet it was a wrenching experience!!! LOL n/t

[Floogeldy]

18. It was weird

I had to call an exorcist when my car started levitating and projectile vomiting green antifreeze!

BADA PING! :)

(Hey, that's the best I could do off the top of my head)

[jswordy]

25. I'll bet that really RATCHETED up your anxiety! ROFL

I know I would want to BOLT if my mechanic worshipped Satan, cuz I'd think I was SCREWED bringing my car to this guy who was a religious ALTERNATOR!

There would be MANIFOLD reasons I would EXHAUST other options first, cuz I would likely TIRE of it if he added FUEL to the fire of worry already KEY in my mind.

That would SPARK me to SHIFT to someone else, which means his religion would BACKFIRE on him.

;-)

ROFLMFAO!!!!

[Floogeldy]

28. Ha ha!!!!

:)

[Modem Butterfly]

17. Find a new doctor

Life is too short to see a doctor who makes you feel uncomfortable.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. You only THINK he is a good doctor.

People with a mindset like that are just bombs waiting to explode. Run away from him like the plague.

[Floogeldy]

Bouncy Ball's doctor is a bomb waiting to explode?

Don't ever get overheard saying that in an airport!

Jeez, the man donated his time to help tsunami victims. Can't be all bad.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

27. He went there to expand the Borg Collective. I know the type.

Any help that resulted was surely incidental.

[Bouncy Ball]

30. It's good to donate your time to help tsunami victims.

What I don't like is the attitude of telling these people their faith is WRONG (whether they are Buddhist or Muslim) and using food, clothing, shelter, medical attention as the reward for converting over to the "true" faith of Christianity. That is arrogant and ill-conceived. And certainly not something Jesus would have endorsed. In fact, he taught quite the opposite. Just give, just help, don't do it for any benefit for yourself or something YOU are involved with, just do it because it's RIGHT to help others.

The best way to be a shining example of Jesus' love is just to LOVE and SERVE others. Don't browbeat them into your religion. And you certainly don't approach natural disasters as a bargain basement sale for new converts.

[Floogeldy]

33. I agree 100%

I'm just not sure your doc did all of that.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

35. All the warning signs are there. I'd be on the safe side.

More because of the victimization-epiphany posters in the hall than the tsunami thing.

"Son, I pray that you never feel at home in this world and that you fear God every moment of your life" :wtf:

Bouncy: just choose the best of the other three doctors and say it's your choice. This way you won't risk any confrontation. You just prefer Dr. X.

[Floogeldy]

36. Yes, but . . .

. . . what if the other doctor she chooses is addicted to OxyContin?

[AlCzervik]

20. I have the same issue with my insurance agent

he is as nice as can be but he's a total fundie and republican. I never went to his office until my car got stolen and after meeting him face to face he reallt creeped me out. He's still my agent but i don't go to his office anymore but if i had to on a regular basis i'd get a new agent.

[Left Is Write]

22. My husband was an agent for a well-known insurer

up until June of last year. It is highly likely that he was the ONLY agent for this insurer in Idaho, Orgeon, and Utah who was *not* a fundie and/or Bush-supporting Republican.

[AlCzervik]

23. i have Farmers insurance. I no longer refer my clients to him.

[Left Is Write]

31. There was once a guy who walked into my husband's office, saying

he had been referred by another client of D's. This guy sat down and said, "You're a good Mormon boy, right? I want my agent to be a good Mormon boy."

My husband is not Mormon. Miraculously, he managed to get that man's business.

Not relevant to the conversation, of course - I'm just surprised Mr. Mormon didn't walk out of D's office and go somewhere else.

[DainBramaged]

24. His judgment will always be clouded by his semantics

get out while you can.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

32. EXACTLY. You said it better than I could.

What if she needs birth-control pills to regulate her hormones, and he refuses to prescribe because it makes baby Jesus cry?

[The empressof all]

38. Ultimately you need to decide your comfort level

I think I would personally be uncomfortable with seeing anyone who feels he/she needs to put their faith out there so much. If you feel like his personal beliefs will not impact his advice to you and he can perform the service that you need than it comes down to your comfort level. If you feel at ease discussing personal issues with him that is what is important.