Doctor Who?

The show Doctor Who has been around since the 1960s. It follows the adventures of a time lord (different than a human, but similar in many ways) as he travels around time and space in his T.A.R.D.I.S, with his many companions. His name isn’t Doctor Who, but rather he goes by “The Doctor.”

He isn’t a medical professional at all. But he chose the name because he wanted to help people. When I thought about it, he had a lot of qualities that one should look for in their own doctor to treat their blood cancer.

A willingness to help

The Doctor quite literally travels to different time periods and space. In each episode, he always helps at least one person. He believes in doing the right thing even at the risk of his own life.

When searching for your doctor, you should look for someone with a willingness to help. Even if they can’t physically help you, they can at least point you in the right direction to someone who can.

Think about it, you don’t want to go to someone who will look at you and go “Well, I guess we could try this.” No! You want them to be engaged and actually care about your well-being.

He knows his stuff

The Doctor is well versed in all kinds of alien technology. He knows a lot about humans and their culture as well. He has taken the time to research and learn about a lot of different topics that end up coming in handy.

On top of looking for a doctor who cares, you’ll also want one who is competent.

What do you look for in a doctor?

They Have the Right Tools

The Doctor has what he calls his "sonic Screwdriver." It’s about the length of a spoon and is able to open locks, scan things, etc.

When choosing a doctor, it wouldn’t hurt to see if they have the latest, or at least up to date, equipment/technology. Ask about what services/treatments they are able to provide or even look into where they got their education, if the information is available.

Politely of course.

Humans make mistakes. Doctors are human too

Like I mentioned before, The Doctor is a time lord. - a race from the planet Gallifrey (my nerd card is showing here), so he’s not technically human, BUT even he makes mistakes.

I think we can all have this default mind set sometimes that just because some one is a doctor they can’t be wrong or know best but that simply isn’t the case. I think they definitely know more then the average citizen but they can still be wrong.

Case in point, the first doctor, a dermatologist that I saw pretty much insisted that the strange bumps on my face were probably acne. I knew that was not the case, and soon after had it confirmed that it was non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

You know your body best. If you feel like something isn’t right, it’s best to speak up. Your doctor should always take your words into consideration.

Warm wishes, Katelynn