Doctors and You. Doctors are human; therefore, they are limited in their ability to heal. Nevertheless, physicians are the most highly trained professionals on the planet. They spend seven to ten years or more in full-time training after graduating from college, learning to identify and treat diseases. Doctors first examine you to determine what is wrong. The examination includes talking with you about your symptoms, examining your body to find other signs of the problem, then ordering tests of your blood, urine and perhaps other parts of you. X-rays may also be included in the evaluation. Once a diagnosis is made, a treatment will be prescribed. Treatment can come in the form of prescription drugs, change in habits or environment, or surgery. You, as the patient, need to work with your doctor as a team to get better. True, a visit to the doctor might cause a little pain, but in the long run it is for your good. Doctors are there to help people. You should help your doctor help you by explaining your symptoms thoroughly and following his or her advice.
