I received two very different observations via email yesterday.
Patient 1:
“Today was one of the most pleasurable, informative, and fulfilling health appointments I have ever experienced. You are knowledgable and passionate about the human body as a cohesive unit and it shows. I truly am looking forward to my next visit. “
Patient 2:
“You’re so well-rounded and knowledgeable. So why didn’t you become a real doctor?”
Even if I’m teaching our future MDs at multiple institutions, that lack of an MD means I’m “not a real doctor.”
How strange.
I might be the missing link or the best healthcare experience. I might be a team member in a system of healthcare.
But one thing needs to change: this misconception that chiropractors aren’t “real” doctors.
I’m real. I have a doctorate.
As an anatomist, I work with current and retired surgeons, who tell me all the time how much they learn working alongside me. They feeling is mutual.
We are ALL learning – even if you have an MD, a DC, a DDS, a massage license, etc.
If that makes you nervous that your doctors are still learning, remember this: the business is called a “practice” for this reason.
So – I don’t need to defend myself. I just show up and hone my skills. Whether or not one decides to call me a “real” doctor is none of my business.
I’m here to help.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley