Do Manners Matter?

My children and I have been in a lot of doctor’s offices recently. I try to schedule as many of our appointments as possible during school breaks, and it seems I am doing a good job this summer. Between all of us, we have visited or will visit the hospital MRI department, the rheumatologist, the neurosurgeon, the pediatrician, the gynecologist, the orthodontist, the dentist and the gastroenterologist.

Some of our visits will be a lot better than the others, but not because of the particular malady that brings us to the office. Rather, the success of the visit will be determined by the doctor and his manners.

I haven’t heard many folks talk about the importance of good manners in a doctor. So, I was thrilled to find this article from the NY Times. After reading it, let me know what you think. Is it important to you that your doctor practice good manners, or is his/her skill alone what helps you decide whether a doctor is “good”?

Deborah can be found writing here at 5MFSN every Wednesday, and can also be found at Pipecleaner Dreams.

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