In allopathic medicine, which is what most people in the US culture mean when they say "doctors," the usual first two treatments they recommend are "dope 'em up" or "cut it out." Very, very few (there are some) doctors have any interest in actually treating the cause of a disease - they only want to treat the symptoms. They prescribe medicine based on what kickbacks the pharmecutical companies give. They do unneeded surgeries because there's more money in it and because it deals with the "problem" faster.

At 14 years old I was regularly seeing a cardiologist because of heart arhythmias. He put me on 8 different medications in numerous dosages and combinations for two years before giving up. Giving up because nothing he tried helped, nor worked as well as me just lying down and yawning. Gotta have a lot of faith in a guy who can't figure out something that's in his specialty field. I sat in his office and solved a Rubik's cube while talking to him one day - he offered me a full partnership in his practice when I graduated high school based on that ability alone.

At 17 it was found that I had scoliosis. Within 2 months of diagnosis the doctor had me on the operation table and did a full spinal fusion as well as putting a 10" steel rod in my back. Years later I found out that there are half a dozen different treatments that could (should) have been tried before radical surgery. I still have problems, daily, because of that bar.

I've got a blood disorder that in 35 years has been diagnosed as three different diseases/disorders, and each time the person diagnosing has said that whoever made the previous diagnosis didn't know what they were talking about. At this point, it is again at the "unknown" status.

I've been in hospital rooms numerous times for various injuries and have been dealt with by doctors who couldn't read a ruler, forget which patient they are with, forget you are in the room, that can't figure out what a problem is, or say, "Well, just leave it be and see if it gets better."

Do you see any reason why I would *want* to go to a doctor? EVERY SINGLE TIME in my adult life that I have had the need to interact with a doctor I have come away with the impression I've been dealing with an idiot. I would sooner put the dependence of my continued health in a computer diagnostic machine at walmart than I would a doctor. (And if you knew how I felt about Mall*Wart, that last sentence would be saying a lot.)

And all this is firsthand experience. If you like, I could go into stories from when my girlfriend worked at an orthopedic surgeons office, stories my mom has from 40+ years as an RN, stories I've heard from my 3 aunts and uncles who are RNs or from the doctors I know. I could go into things I know that have happened to relatives and friends who were patients. Care to hear any of those to really boost your confidence in MDs?

I'm sure there are probably a few good doctors out there, but I believe I've sacrificed enough body parts in search of one.