Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Where's the Passion?

I’m trying not to be cynical, but I’m from Philly so you should know that’s a losing battle. Still, I can understand the rather lackadaisical service from someone whose job is just a paycheck. They are there to clock in, do what is necessary to earn that paycheck and clock out. Passion, a sense of responsibility and sadly even pride in one’s work does not always come into it. You’re a college student that earns money waiting tables, a mother who needs the health insurance for her family or a writer needing more than pen and paper to live. There are tons of jobs where you work to fuel your life and if you have a full life that can work out wonderfully.
But when you're in a field that required years of schooling and intense hours, I don’t think it’s a jump to assume that there is a certain amount of passion and desire required. So why is it, in eight years of doctors, surgeons and specialists I have yet to find one that spent more than five minutes with me after I waited, on average, an hour and a half for him/her? Why can’t I find a doctor that doesn’t suggest another type of doctor after the second or third appointment? And why is it that one doctor will order loads of tests that my insurance won’t pay for and then once the payment plan is setup I’m told it was all unnecessary by the new doctor the old one referred me to?
Perhaps I, in the interest of full disclosure, should mention that I just received another bill for a test that yielded nothing except a rather nasty bruise. But the price of two car payments aside, almost any price would be worth it to feel better or to at least know that my health is in the hands of someone who had an interest, if not a passion, for my recovery.
I watched ER, Grey's Anatomy, and House and was told that doctors want to heal. But so far all I've seen are doctors that want to get me out of their office as quickly as possible, doctors who don't even bother to let me finish when I try to explain to them what Celiac's Disease is, as if them asking me what it is wasn't off-putting enough. I try, despite my soul deep cynicism, to be optimistic whenever I sit in a waiting room, but so far that's only led to disappointment. I know it's important to take control of my own health, and I have been trying, but sometimes you just want advice from someone whose not just there for their paycheck.

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