The Doctor as a Person

Doctors are people too, before they become doctors and thereafter. Years of training have made them excel at what they do, but have also hardened them about the facts of illness to the point where they may seem callous in their approach to diseases and their effects. Doctors bring to their relationships their own experiences, their own likes and dislikes, their own biases. As a result of their extensive schooling, doctors have more information than the usual patient, especially about healthcare. They are protective of their position in the healthcare scene: Doctors are leaders and they never forget it. They work under stress, tend sometimes to be curt and uncaring when they are just busy and in situations that, unusual to patients, are quite commonplace in the life of a doctor.

Support groups for asthmatics and their families can be found in many communities and on various electronic services where they often appear as "chat" groups. Lots of personal feelings and information about doctors can be found in this arena that is useful in selecting a doctor to treat asthma. Remember that the information you gather from word-of-mouth sources does not have the same status as information from recognized governmental and professional channels; still, it never hurts to ask around the neighborhood.