Clipping Board » Medical Myths ─ The truth about healthcare is often different from what you intuitively think.
United Daily News / Reporter Liu Huimin / Taipei Report 03/04/2008 02:54 AM
An 80-year-old renowned doctor dozes off while seeing patients, yet loyal patients still come to him; even after suffering a stroke, his clinic still sees long queues. Are these hard-to-book doctors really better at treating illnesses? Dr. Zhang Zhishen challenges the myth of renowned doctors in her new book, advising patients to seek good doctors rather than famous ones.
Zhang Zhishen, a clinical associate professor of internal medicine and oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, practiced medicine in Taiwan for 12 years. Yesterday, she published her new book, "Do You Really Need to See a Famous Doctor?" She found that many people feel insecure without consulting a renowned doctor. However, in Taiwan, a "famous doctor" often sees over a hundred patients in a single session, averaging less than three minutes per patient, yet patients seem unbothered. Moreover, fearing they might offend the doctor, they hesitate to seek a second opinion.
She once held a clinic at the same time as a renowned doctor. Some patients who couldn't get an appointment with the famous doctor settled for her. However, these patients indicated they didn't need her advice, "just prescribe the same medication as before," and some even requested not to record the diagnosis in their medical records to avoid displeasing the renowned doctor next time. Such disregard for their own health often made her break into a cold sweat.
Of course, renowned doctors can also be good doctors. Zhang Zhishen noted that under the current circumstances, many hard-to-book doctors have no choice, as patients often use connections to get appointments, making it difficult for doctors to refuse. For example, an 80-year-old doctor or one who has suffered a stroke still seeing patients highlights the lack of a clear retirement system for doctors in Taiwan. If a doctor refuses to acknowledge old age, they can continue practicing.
Known among friends as a "heroine," Zhang Zhishen joked that she is not famous, which is why she decided to write about the myths and truths of renowned doctors, unafraid of offending anyone. In fact, she has served at renowned medical centers abroad, has teaching experience, specializes in oncology, and holds the fourth license in family medicine in Taiwan.
Zhang Zhishen's book is also influenced by her family's experiences. Years ago, while in the U.S., she and her supervising professor misdiagnosed her mother due to a decimal point error in a test report, leading to incorrect medication that caused her mother to become a vegetable due to a blood clot blocking a brain vessel, and she later passed away. Her sister also suffered a delay in surgery because no one dared to take over a renowned doctor's patient, resulting in the loss of her unborn child. "Even now, in the quiet of the night, I still remember my mother's tearful face."
[2008/03/04 United Daily News]
Shocking! Renowned Doctor Suffers Stroke While Patients Queue Endlessly
An 80-year-old renowned doctor dozes off while seeing patients, yet loyal patients still come to him; even after suffering a stroke, his clinic still sees long queues. Are these hard-to-book doctors really better at treating illnesses? Dr. Zhang Zhishen challenges the myth of renowned doctors in her new book, advising patients to seek good doctors rather than famous ones.
Zhang Zhishen, a clinical associate professor of internal medicine and oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, practiced medicine in Taiwan for 12 years. Yesterday, she published her new book, "Do You Really Need to See a Famous Doctor?" She found that many people feel insecure without consulting a renowned doctor. However, in Taiwan, a "famous doctor" often sees over a hundred patients in a single session, averaging less than three minutes per patient, yet patients seem unbothered. Moreover, fearing they might offend the doctor, they hesitate to seek a second opinion.
She once held a clinic at the same time as a renowned doctor. Some patients who couldn't get an appointment with the famous doctor settled for her. However, these patients indicated they didn't need her advice, "just prescribe the same medication as before," and some even requested not to record the diagnosis in their medical records to avoid displeasing the renowned doctor next time. Such disregard for their own health often made her break into a cold sweat.
Of course, renowned doctors can also be good doctors. Zhang Zhishen noted that under the current circumstances, many hard-to-book doctors have no choice, as patients often use connections to get appointments, making it difficult for doctors to refuse. For example, an 80-year-old doctor or one who has suffered a stroke still seeing patients highlights the lack of a clear retirement system for doctors in Taiwan. If a doctor refuses to acknowledge old age, they can continue practicing.
Known among friends as a "heroine," Zhang Zhishen joked that she is not famous, which is why she decided to write about the myths and truths of renowned doctors, unafraid of offending anyone. In fact, she has served at renowned medical centers abroad, has teaching experience, specializes in oncology, and holds the fourth license in family medicine in Taiwan.
Zhang Zhishen's book is also influenced by her family's experiences. Years ago, while in the U.S., she and her supervising professor misdiagnosed her mother due to a decimal point error in a test report, leading to incorrect medication that caused her mother to become a vegetable due to a blood clot blocking a brain vessel, and she later passed away. Her sister also suffered a delay in surgery because no one dared to take over a renowned doctor's patient, resulting in the loss of her unborn child. "Even now, in the quiet of the night, I still remember my mother's tearful face."
[2008/03/04 United Daily News]