A patient who comes into the doctor’s office is like a prospect coming on to a used car lot. Such people are called “Ups” in the vernacular of car sales. People usually come because they are not happy with the way their car is running. Rather than repairing the old clunker the customer is persuaded to buy a new model. Whereas the customer or patient is seeking expert information about how to meet his needs to the salesman or doctor this innocent inquiry is an opportunity to make some cash.
I know my opinion sounds disrespectful. There are some really nice doctors out there. Just like there are some really nice car salesman. But both industries are full of deceit and greed. One study found that more than 50% of the doctors on duty were on drugs or alcohol. (This study was conducted by a Harvard professor who drew blood at hospitals unannounced.)
Another startling statistic is that the life expectancy of a medical doctor is below 57 years old. It doesn't matter how nice of a guy the doctor is the fact is that most doctors have no clue when it comes to nutritional health strategies. They only know how to sale drugs and procedures. Perhaps this why 900,000 +/- patients per year are killed at the hands of competent medical care. While many doctors are quick to prescribe medications and procedures in a recent study more than half the doctors polled admitted that if they had a cancer diagnosis they would not accept chemotherapy. Yet the same doctors would not hesitate to prescribe chemotherapy for their patients.
Two other cases really bring home the point that doctors are not the gods they are portrayed as. In one case a 3 year old child was receiving a "root canal" from a dentist. The child died after he was given Demerol as a anesthetic. The child's vital signs were not being monitored. In another case the patient was undergoing open heart surgery. The surgeon was scheduled to attend a luncheon and left the patient on the table with his chest still wide open. The assistant who was not qualified was asked to finish the operation. Upon leaving the surgeon reassured the waiting family by saying everything went "fine". When the patient went into cardiac arrest while the assistant attempted to hook him up to a heart lung machine the surgeon was summoned back to the hospital to stabilize the patient.
Most Ups want the best car for the lowest price. The same is true at the doctor’s office. The patient wants the best service for the best price. The car salesman is trained to pump the Up to sell as many options and needless services as he can in addition to the car itself. This is not unlike most MD’s. The real profits start coming when the doctor orders tests, prescribes medications and recommends expensive procedures like surgery or chemotherapy whether the patient needs them or not. According, many sources most of these drugs and procedures do not work. Of course the ultimate closed deal is a hip or knee replacement. A heart, kidney, lung or any other organ replacement can be worth millions.
Naturally, patients are reluctant to accept such procedures at first. But of course the cost of such procedures are covered by either the government (taxes) or the insurance. Doctors do not care how the bill is paid as long as it is paid. After all most of them have school loans, car payments and house payments that must be made. What would you do if you needed to cover you million dollar mortgage?
Most of the time customers are reluctant to make such big decisions on the spur of the moment. On a car lot salesman are instructed in such cases to “Turn It Over” or “T.O.” This means that the salesman refers the prospective buyer to an expert for his “knowledgeable” opinion; usually the manager. In the case of the medical industry patients are T.O.’d all the time to “specialist”. The purpose of the manager and specialist is to persuade the customer that the offer from the salesman or doctor is the right thing to do. If necessary the manager will find ways of making the transaction happen such as financing or adding perks to the deal. Whatever it takes to close the deal. Car salesman are notorious for not letting an Up leave without signing the papers.
When I used to sell vacuum cleaners door to door as a teen I was trained to dump dirt all over the house that I had sucked up with my new top of the line machine. It worked like a charm. The more fastidious the house wife was the more anxious she would become to buy my new machine. Doctors do the same thing. They do it with tests. They will test repeatedly until the patient’s will is broken and they agree to the prescribe drug or procedure.
Speaking of financing one of the reasons that car salesman have such a bad reputation is because they tend to exaggerate the benefits of a transaction and minimize the bad points. The same is true in the medical field. Doctors exaggerate the benefits to the patient of a prescribed drug or procedure while minimizing the risks. If a salesman sees that it is not in the best interest of the customer to enter the transaction they feel no remorse to proceed anyway. In the medical field doctors will often proceed with a therapy or protocol regardless of whether it is in the best interest of the patient.
Often times neither the health of the patient nor the transportation requirements of a customer are not the primary considerations of the doctor / salesman. His interest and mandate is to sell cars or medical care. Failure to do that will result in immediate disciplinary action or termination.
Recently, I wanted to purchase a new mini-van. At the first dealer I went to the salesman immediately offered to show me their best model. He was sure to tell me that the mini-van was equipped with an anti-decapitation device. He then raised the hood to show me a simple hood latch which he said would prevent the hood from cutting off the heads of my children and myself in the event of a head on collision. No other mini-van on the market had such a device he said which was why his vehicle was the best for the money. 30 seconds later I walked across the street to a more honest dealership where I purchased a different brand.
This same technique is used by doctors all the time. They scare their patients into submission without ever mentioning that simple foods and supplements would be a better option than the drugs they are proposing. Unfortunately, patients mistakenly believe that a second opinion will protect them. The truth is that all doctors come from the same club and will support each other no matter what. Descenting opinions are frowned upon as medical industry is a monopoly with no other competition allowed. The patient can not just go across the street and find another and different brand of health care.
I apologize for what must seem like a disrespectful hit piece against doctors. But you have to realize that we are not talking about an automobile. We are talking about your life. Its not a commodity to be profited from.
But in the words of a very wise woman. "Should we be surprised when elephants try to grab all the peanuts?"
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