Remember when you were young and your parents did everything for you? If you do then you remember when you became independent, when it became annoying as they tried to parent you, you felt grown up. That's what I'm dealing with more and more now. When I work with other general pediatricians, I find more and more a growing sense of independence. More and more I want to get out on my own. The majority of the time I'm accepted as a peer, especially with the doctors that I have worked with for 3 years, who know and respect that I do good work. Occasionally, though, I have the displeasure to work with a general pediatrics attending who is substandard, one you find yourself disagreeing with on a regular basis. You'll find that despite your medical knowledge, despite your knowledge that you are right and they are wrong (I always look it up before assuming), that their experience and their "role" will trump your "role". Doctors have power and attendings much more so than residents. If you are smart, you stay political, you stay polite, and you stay quiet, until you are out from under their sphere of influence. It sounds spineless, but the people I've seen who went the other way always regretted it. I've seen them given bad evaluations and I've even seen them fired. It's harder to do than you would think as these doctors are often sooo bad and sooo full of themselves (I find one goes with the other often).
I recently came under the tutelage of a general pediatrics practicioner from the community, 1 day a week. In 1 month that I've been privey to his ignorance, I've watched this doctor read tests wrong and treat patients inappropriately for it, I've sat by and had him berrate me for giving a correct and evidence based diagnosis (in front of the patient no less), and what drives me crazy is his inability to explain his reasoning when he disagrees with me, which is often. This guy for whatever reason is fairly skilled in heart murmurs, which I do try and pick his brain on, but I'm having trouble staying with him for that reason only, as the only other thing he shows me consistently is what not to do. My plan is fairly mild in reaction to this, I'm switching to a better clinic where I know there is alot to learn. I will politely excuse myself from working with him and thank him for his "education", and I might annonymously report him so that other future residents will steer clear of his bad habits/malpractice. In the time I have seen him I can say that he is not dangerous or I would be obligated to a greater reaction, but he is also not very good. Seriously, I see this guy for 1 half day a week and when I go home I'm so mad I can't sleep at night.
In medicine, there are often many ways to skin a cat, many ways to go about solving a medical problem. If you are halfway worth your salt, it's not hard to spot the wackadoo's who on regular occasion skin dogs.
