Being a doctor is very hard work, especially with the feverish rate at which healthcare standards are being developed all over the world. Having said that, some doctors are plain bad news. Because modern credentials are more or less universal, the quacks aren’t going to stick out like sore thumbs. If you’re beginning to have doubts about the way your doctor practices, here’s a brief guide to identifying a bad doctor…

Mind Their Attitude

This is probably one of the easiest symptoms to spot in a bad doctor. We all want a decent level of customer service, especially from the person who’s in charge of keeping our health in check! If you feel that your doctor is indifferent or otherwise uncaring to you, then it may be time to start looking for a new one. Any doctor who’s consistently rude, condescending, or dismissive of questions and concerns you bring up, really isn’t cut out for the job. Sure, they may have all the expertise it takes to put “Dr” in front of their name in letters. However, if it seems they don’t genuinely care about their patients, it can be the first warning signs of more serious issues in the future, like a wrongful diagnosis. Good doctors are warm, interested, and go out of their way to make their patients feel comfortable during treatment.

Beware of Overtreatment

You obviously don’t want a physician who might neglect to administer the kind of treatments you need, but doctors who over-treat can be just as dangerous. If it seems that your doctor is always recommending unwarranted procedures and tests, this should also be a major cause for concern. Doctors who do this are often inexperienced and nervous, afraid of medical malpractice claims, Unsure of their own working knowledge or distrustful of their gut instincts. Whatever the root of the problem, it certainly isn’t something that you should go by ignoring. This will only serve to make you nervous whenever you’re in the practice, and can lead to all kinds of unnecessary expenses and medical risks. The biggest red flag you should watch out for is a doctor who gets offended when you question their judgment, or express the desire to get a second opinion on a treatment.

Do Some Research of Your Own

It always pays to do a little research on your conditions, the common causes and treatments, and not just taking everything the doctor says as indisputable fact. One of the most important things to look for is doctors who use outdated methods for diagnosis or treatment. If it seems your primary care physician is recommending outdated therapies and treatments, it’s very important that you start finding another practitioner, who’s more up-to-date on the latest medical standards. When a doctor’s so stuck in their ways they won’t try new, safer techniques, despite unshakable evidence, you need to get out of their care as a matter of urgency. Whenever you’re getting treated for a condition, take some time to do your own research.