Doctors and doctors - A poem!

Posted , 16 users are following.

I mentioned this poem in another post this morning. Given the number of people who commented on their experiences with mis-diagnosis I thought you'd like to see it - I posted it on another PMR forum.

In last month's edition of Scope, the magazine for the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, there is a historical article about the man who founded the society that preceded the IPEM. After his death his family found the following poem in his papers. Remember, he was a doctor himself!

Doctors and Doctors

One little doctor, looks you thro' and thro',

Can't diagnose your case, and then there are two.

Two little doctors, failing to agree,

Call a consultation. Then there are three.

Three little doctors, poke you o'er and o'er,

Send for a specialist. Then there are four.

Four little doctors, wonder you're alive,

Order in the x-ray man, then there are five.

Five little doctors, trying funny tricks,

Another brings the stomach pump - and then there are six.

Six little doctors, preparing you for heaven,

In comes a DD, then there are seven.

Seven little doctors, decide to operate -

Call in a surgeon, then there are eight.

Eight little doctors, think it is your spine,

Send for a neurologist, then there are nine.

Nine little doctors, all of them are men,

Send for a lady doctor - then there are ten.

Ten little doctors, standing by your bed,

Come to a decision, find that you are dead.

5 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

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  • Posted

    This is great Eileen, can`t understand why anyone would object to it....perhaps she had PMT...oh dear, does that really exist?...how naughty of me!!..wink.

  • Posted

    Thanks for sharing, EILEEN.

    Both funny, and sad, to me.

    the words demonstrate the medical field's lack of scientific knowledge, and understanding, and that medicine is not an exact science, after all

    That's why I would rather depend on you guys, to get my info.

    Be well.

    Barb

  • Posted

    Wonderful! I will send to my former rheumys.
  • Posted

    Oh poor patient, seriously under par

    Let's all keep our fingers crossed

    It wasn't  PMR.

    I was thinking Lady Doctor, she will know the drill

    But obv!ously she was just as bad and went in for the kill!

  • Posted

    Funny!! You all are the best! I've been fortunate with my GP and Rheumie but I have been comforted and learned way more in this forum. We are like one big team looking out for each other. Thanks!!

  • Posted

    Very clever, so appropos!  Maiybe not too exaggerated!
  • Posted

    Love it. My father always warned us against doctors and hospitals and to keep away from them. I don't know if the fact that he was a doctor and worked at a hospital as a consultant had anything to do with it. 

    The only trouble with the poem is that patients at my surgery cannot even get a referral any more even for xrays unless they go private. So you don't actually see anyone, let alone more than one person! This week we have no resident GPs they are all on holiday, all five of them, they are bringing in a couple of locums, but are discouraging anyone trying to make an appointment.

     

    • Posted

      Locums can sometimes be a life saver. A new set of eyes can sometimes see a whole new picture. One saved a friends sister. An opportunity to get another opinion.
    • Posted

      I am not against locums, we have them continuously as staff seem to leave rather often. I am amazed that they have not bothered to have one permanent person to let them know how things work though. The practise is slowly collapsing. We have had five practise managers in the last two years. The current GPs say they are working sixteen hours a day and are losing interest. All the local hairdressers have horrendous stories from patients about errors made. Poor old NHS. 
  • Posted

    cheesygrin

    In keeping with the spirit:

    here in the US, when I went to school they called it 

    Political Science, and the Medical Arts.

    hmmmm.

  • Posted

    Love it. Very true. Just get diagnosed with one condition and before you know it you've got 10 and on so many tablets that all have contra indications and each is causing problems with the other . Go in to hospital and they take you off them all and you either improve miraculously or you're  dead!

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