In my opinion, changes in the public perception of physicians are becoming more and more common as the years progress, because everyone has their own idea of what a doctor’s purpose should be. While shows such as “House” and “ER” often portray them as unflappable, all-knowing gurus who can effectively tackle any illness in front of them, the reality is that they aren’t always as personable or confident as the media leads you to believe.
People need to realize that they are fallible human beings who use their knowledge and intuitive skills to help people to the best of their ability, which is rarely accomplished in the course of one evening visit. Gone are the days when being a doctor was universally considered as an elite status symbol because, if the recent death of Michael Jackson taught us anything, it’s that doctors can cause more harm than good if they succumb to the pressure.
Cases such as the Michael Jackson debacle can be seen as major contributors to the growing distrust of people in the medical profession, because the public is already skeptical of health care and seeing Dr. Conrad Murray become somewhat of a professional drug dealer only adds to the hysteria.
With so many people turning to home remedies or alternative medicine, it appears that the idea exists that people no longer have to trust or rely on their family physician to solve every problem, especially with health insurance rates skyrocketing out of control.
I know plenty of people who would rather consult Web MD than take time out of their day to wait at a clinic, so I think that the more information people receive from outlets such as newspapers or the Internet, the more they’ll begin to second guess a doctor’s ability to treat them successfully.
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