A visit to the doctor’s office should be a time of healing, trust, and compassion. However, sometimes, patients find themselves facing infuriating experiences that leave them questioning the quality of care they receive. In this collection of stories, we delve into the memories of patients who recount their most enraging visits to the doctor’s office.
From dismissive attitudes to long waits and misdiagnoses, these accounts shed light on the moments when frustration and disappointment overshadowed the pursuit of health and well-being. Join us as we navigate the complexities of doctor-patient interactions and explore the tales that remind us of the importance of empathy, communication, and respect in healthcare.
Get ready to sympathize, reflect, and perhaps even gain insights into how we can improve our experiences as patients and providers alike.
All content has been edited for clarity.
I Can’t Believe She Didn’t Report Him
“I was 26 years old and had just discovered that my first husband had been cheating on me. He moved out, and I was left there, really struggling, going into a deep depression.
My doctor suggested I see a psychiatrist, and recommended one for me to see. I made an appointment, and when the day came for my appointment, I was in bad straits.
The receptionist showed me back to the examination room, which was very different that any examining room I had ever been in. I had never been to a psychiatrist or psychologist before. The room looked more like a very comfortable living room in someone’s home. So I sat down on one of the couches and waited for the doctor.
When he came in, I could see that he was easily 25 years my senior. He stood in the doorway for a minute, looking at me, and then sat in a chair directly facing the couch I was on. He asked me some basic questions, about why I was there, and what was going on in my life. At one point, he reached over to the only lamp that was on, and dimmed it, making it pretty dark in the room. Then, he started asking me some very personal questions, which I thought had nothing to do with my current problem, about my past boyfriends, what we did physically, etc.
I got really uncomfortable and finally said, ‘I don’t see what any of this has to do with my depression, and my husband leaving me.’
At that moment, he stood up, and came and sat right beside me on the couch, put his hand on my leg, and asked me, ‘Do you like oral?’
I immediately stood up, walked quickly to the examination room door, flung it open, stomped down the hallway, past the receptionist, and out the front door. I got in my car, backed up, and scratched off out of there, leaving very long, black tire marks on the street, about the length of that building. Needless to say, I never went back. I was quite young at the time, and too nice. If it happened today, I would file a complaint against him.”
She Just Wanted To Ruin Someone’s Day
“I had taken the day off from work to take my son to the Naval hospital clinic. He had pretty much lost his voice at camp that summer and it hadn’t come back so I had him there to get it checked. We waited and waited for our appointment.
I did check with the desk and was told the doctor was running behind and would see me soon. After 2 and a half hours, I saw a bunch of doctors getting ready to leave for lunch.
I went to the desk and sure enough one of the doctors was the one we were supposed to see.
She told me they were going to have lunch and I would have to wait until he got back (2 more hours to wait) and if we left we would lose our place in line. I pitched a fit, the doctor came over to see what was up. He skipped his lunch and treated my son. He said we weren’t even on the list to be seen (he had checked before he gave up his lunchtime) and that’s why we hadn’t been seen.
Since I had my appointment confirmation with me, I could prove we did have an appointment. He showed it to the desk clerk, and read her the riot act for making us sit there all day and expecting us to wait even longer. The doctor was great, and then we all left together and he even bought us lunch.”
He Deserved That One
“My mom had recently been diagnosed with cancer she was sent to an oncologist for a treatment plan. Five minutes after entering his office, she ran out. I heard big gasping sobs and she looked terrified.
She looked at me and said, ‘I’m not ready to die.’
I calmed her down and found out the doctor told her she needed to go home lay on the couch take her medication and spend her time with family and friends because she had a couple of weeks at best. But in not so polite way. He told her not to be so a selfish baby and crap like that.
I called my husband, who was in the parking lot, and told him my mom was ready to be taken to the car. She was still crying when he took her.
I decided I was going to talk to the doctor and said, ‘I’ll be right out.’
I asked him, ‘Why the h*ll would you tell your patient she had no hope?’
‘Because she can’t work and her employer’s insurance is about to run out. Why spend outrageous government-funded dollars on treatment to prolong what will happen anyway? She just needs except it.’
I b*tch slapped him so hard. His head snapped to the side so fast he cracked the diploma hanging on the wall. I said, ‘When you make my mother cry you’re going to get your a*s kicked.’
He had a handprint and tears in his eyes when I left.
After visiting the doctor, I was taken to the car by 2 very huge security officers. Each one had an elbow and my toes barely touched the ground. That couldn’t take away my sense of satisfaction.
When I got to the car, I asked my mom, ‘Since when do you let a man tell you what to do?’
‘Never.’
‘Are you going to start now?’
‘But he told me to go home and die… f*ck him I’m not ready.’
She died five years later and it wasn’t cancer-related. Her cancer was in remission.
I was charged with assault but the charges were dropped when the doctor didn’t show up to court. It was an impulse reaction. Do I regret it? Maybe. Would I do it again? Yep.”
They Really Don’t Value Your Time
“In 2013, l had a minor procedure performed by a General Surgeon. I had an appointment for the follow-up. I got a call on the previous day to remind me. I showed up several minutes early and checked in. I waited and waited and then waited some more.
Nearly 2 hours later, l was finally called back to see the doctor. It was then he informed me he had gone to a funeral and was just getting back.
This was fine with me, he should attend anyone’s funeral he pleases but common courtesy would be to notify his patients and reschedule.”
