Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
Someone Asked People To Share Their Absolute Worst Doctor Experiences, And These 30 Are Wild
Interview
Going to the doctor's doesn't always turn out what we think it will be. Misdiagnosing, gaslighting, and poor communication are just some problems patients have to deal with. In fact, in 2022, 60% of Americans said they had recently had a bad experience with a healthcare provider.
Just a few days ago, a woman on Twitter (X) asked other people to share their worst encounters with a doctor. The thread quickly filled up with stories from the doctor's office featuring some questionable medical professionals. We know doctors are people too, but some of these docs truly deserve to be shamed.
Bored Panda reached out to the woman who started this thread, Candace D., and she kindly agreed to tell us more about what prompted her to ask others to share their worst doctor experiences. Read our short conversation with her below!
More info: X (Twitter)
This post may include affiliate links.
Candace D., who started this thread on X (Twitter), is a chronic illness advocate who shares her own health journey online. "As a chronically ill person, I've had a lot of bad experiences with medical professionals and I know a lot of other people have too, chronically ill or not," Candace told Bored Panda.
"So it's an interesting topic. I wasn't prepared for just how sad and deep the topic would be though. It was honestly really hard to read all those responses."
Still, Candace has had her fair share of negative experiences with the medical community. "Medical gaslighting and dismissive treatment delayed me being properly diagnosed with EDS, MCAS, POTS, etc., which also delayed treatment, and I know there are so many others like me," she shares.
"If I could change one thing about how the medical system treats chronically ill patients, I would just say—PLEASE BELIEVE US. An amazing start is just listening to us and having compassion for us. No one wants to be sick," the woman reiterates.
RELATED:
After reading this list, you might think that everyone in the U.S. hates their doctor. But that isn't the truth. In fact, 70% of Americans are satisfied with their primary care doctor. But few feel that American healthcare is personalized: 53% say they believe that the system treats them more like a number than a person.
Many people also expect doctors to have a holistic approach. That's why 70% of American adults who come in for a checkup want their doctor to ask them about their mental health. This signals a shift from our understanding that a primary care doctor can only help with physical ailments.
Doctors make mistakes; they are human, after all. But the costs of their mistakes can often have catastrophic consequences. In the U.S., 250k people pass away each year because ER doctors misdiagnose them. Researchers estimate that a whopping 7.4 million people might get a wrong diagnosis at the emergency room.
But experts don't put the blame on the doctors. One of the study's authors explains that we have to take a look at the medical training, technology, and support that could help doctors avoid these mistakes.
Dr. Susan M. Peterson, another author of the study, explained that pointing out mistakes helps doctors improve. Like what happened with detecting heart attacks: public health campaigns, better diagnostic testing, and cardiologists and ER doctors working together resulted in more diagnoses.
#8
Debby Keir 8 months ago
I had cervical cancer when 27 and married - discovered after my smear 6 weeks post giving birth. Was told by the gynaecologist that I shouldn't have slept around so much....
#9
Like with many of the examples you'll read on this list, many patients don't think their doctors listen to them. Their concerns get dismissed or entirely overlooked. A 2021 UK survey found that one in four patients felt like they weren't treated with respect by their physician. Another one in four claimed not being listened to.
#10
Glenn Cuneo 8 months ago
On my birthday my a doctor told me "Yes, you have cancer. Oh! I notice it's your birthday, happy birthday"-- got up and left the room.
For women and people of color, misdiagnoses and medical gaslighting are even more frequent occurrences. Research shows that women and racial and ethnic minorities are 20%-30% more likely than a white man to receive an incorrect diagnosis. In a 2024 survey, 65.3% of women expressed concern about receiving unsatisfactory or poor-quality care.
Women experience neglect in the ER, too. One study showed how women who had severe stomach pain had to spend 33% more time in the waiting room than men did. And even if women do manage to get into the doctor's office, their heart disease often gets diagnosed as anxiety, ovarian cysts as regular period pain, and autoimmune diseases get interpreted as depression.
#18
tracy black 8 months ago
had the same thing happen to me in nashville i was pushing out a 12lb 15 oz baby without pain killers and she told me to stop screaming cause labor pains were in my head they didnt hurt ( later found out she was child free )
A lot of it goes back to the history of medicine, where any major health complaint from a woman was chalked up to be hysteria. Even today, there's still a bias in the medical community where doctors may think that it's a hormonal imbalance or the woman is just making things up.
"Female hysteria was once a common medical diagnosis for women, applied whenever women displayed 'inappropriate' emotions such as anxiety, anger and even sexual desire," Stephanie Trentacoste McNally, MD, explained.
#19
Debby Keir 8 months ago
TIL - postmarital s*x WON'T GIVE YOU UTI's. Must be true - doctor said it.
Until 1993, women and minorities weren't allowed to participate in clinical trials in the U.S. That resulted in the medical community not knowing whether the studied variables affected them the same way they affected white men. And we see the consequences of that today: we have a limited understanding of how women, especially women of color, experience disease and what treatments they need.
#24
And women do tend to have different experiences. With medications, for example, women are twice as likely to have adverse effects because the meds have only been tested on men. Women who receive hip implants are also 29% more likely to experience implant failure because of differences in anatomy and inadequate testing. Until 1999, we even didn't know that women present different symptoms of a heart attack than men.
Experts say there are certain steps we need to take to rectify the problem. For starters, having more women in leadership positions for medical and clinical research. Changes need to be made in medical education: students should learn how sex differences affect medical care. And, of course, more inclusive research that includes women of low socioeconomic status, older women, and those living in rural areas.
#29
Nichole Harris 8 months ago
This is actually awesome.... Your doc was concerned, made an effort for you to feel safe...... That's cool
What about you, Pandas? Have you ever had a doctor's visit turn into a nightmare? Share your unpleasant stories with us in the comments! And while you're thinking of one, be sure to check out our other posts about doctors saying inappropriate things and the worst advice patients have ever been given by a doctor.
#31
#33
kzys59pcrp 8 months ago
I tried going off my antidepressant when I was pregnant with my second child but I couldn’t do it. He was born with a birth defect. The bones in his skull were fused. He had surgery at 6months and has been great since
#34
M O'Connell 8 months ago
Specialists often look for problems within their specialty. Some refer to other specialties, some should do that but don't.
#35
KnightOwl 8 months ago (edited)
I can't believe the number of bad things I've read here about horrible experiences with labour nurses and doctors. I'm from the UK where most women give birth using midwives and it's incredibly rare to ever hear anyone say anything negative about them. Midwives are amazing and incredibly supportive and non judgemental. People here often form incredibly close bonds with their midwives and it's not uncommon for them to remain friends after the birth.
#36
KrazyChiMama 8 months ago
They do need to find out where the internal bleeding is coming from. One of the tests for this does involve a digital (finger insertion) rectal exam for occult blood. Patients DO have the right to refuse this and there are other tests that we are able to do. Whether or not your insurance will cover/approve them if you refuse the physical exam is another story.
#38
KrazyChiMama 8 months ago
I call bs on this one…there’s no way an X-ray tech is going to hold a patient up with his foot while shooting a plain film…they’re not allowed in the room unless shielded by lead as they would get too much badge exposure
#39
Sophia Pandia de Delphia 8 months ago (edited)
On 1st read, I took his statement to mean he got to see all of the surgery on OP. However, tone isn't conveyed by the statement alone, so he probably was pervy if OP says so
#40
Lowrider 56 8 months ago
That happened to one of my ex-girlfriends. I didn't know that a person's intestines could get twisted like that.
#41
Michael Largey 8 months ago
When I was a child, my dentist made two mistakes at once. He thought (a) he could take my loose tooth out with a single yank and (b) he didn't have to tell me about it in advance. I don't know when he died, but when he did I'm sure he still had my bite marks on this fingers.
#45
Nikole 8 months ago
My pediatrician (I was maybe 5) once said to me that he wanted to check how I was “developing down there”, and that my mom should probably leave the room because a parent can make kids nervous. She OF COURSE stayed and he ended up just looking down the front of my jeans and declared everything was fine. I still fúcking remember that. My best friend had the same pediatrician and he would always ask her how many boys she’d kissed. Fúcker. Good thing both of us had strong moms.
#48
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
When I had an ovarian cyst and had to have an internal ultrasound, they didn't say it would 'take my virginity' but they did make sure I knew it might cause bleeding if my hymen wasn't broken already.
#49
KnightOwl 8 months ago
This happened to me too, I ended up being hospitalised for 4 days with a massive abcess that was growing down my neck and cutting off my airways. I had to have it drained 3 seperate times and tons of IV antibiotics. They told me they were extremely close to incubating me on multiple occasions as they were worried about the amount of swelling and pressure on my airways.
#50
Daniel Atkins 8 months ago
That is the worst part of having a kidney stone. It hurts so bad you go to the ER and they are doing their due diligence making sure you are not there to get a d**g fix, but the wait to have them administer the pain reliever is excruciating it'll make a grown man cry.
#52
#60
SouthernGal 8 months ago
Date of last period is almost always asked, not just for teens but adults as well. There are various medical reasons that this info is important.
#61
Bored Sailor 8 months ago
Oh nerves suck, my stenosis has torn up the nerves between my C5, 6 &7. Surgery helped but the pain will never go away. Planning on surgery to replace C3 next week before it does to much damage, right now it is bruising the cord. The first time it took a few years to figure out it was a nerve problem, but not through not testing or trying. This time since it was only year the MRI picked this one up quicker.
#63
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
Do all jobs require a doctor's exam in the US? I can only think of a few jobs that might need it here, like my dad had to get his sight and hearing checked before his crossing guard job.
#77
Debby Keir 8 months ago
Well, if I had a rare condition, I'd much rather they bother to 'google it' than not. You can pick out which website you look at for information and there are a lot of reputable medical sites and research papers to be found (plus specific charities that are a wealth of advice) I'd worry if they just posted a query on Facebook.
#78
Upstaged75 8 months ago
This one is BS. Mayo Clinic is one of the best hospital systems in the world. They're doing cutting edge research and help thousands of people every day.
#81
Charles McChristy 8 months ago
Oh, no! You have a skin condition and he wanted to look at your skin!
#85
KnightOwl 8 months ago
That just sounds like small talk, asking about relationships, kids, jobs and the weather are all pretty standard small talk subjects. May seem a little strange during an exam but I'm sure a lot of people appreciate a bit of small talk to distract them from what's happening and any anxiety they have.
#89
Richi Weiss 8 months ago
That's not bad in my book. As long as he knows how to cure/handle it..
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Mel in Georgia 8 months ago
Brought my teenage daughter in for a checkup. Asked the young female doctor about getting my daughter the HPV vaccine, which can prevent a type of STD and cervical cancer. She refused to give it because "It encourages girls to have pre-marital s*x." WTF??
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
It's part of the regular vaccine schedule for high school students in Australia, has been since about 2006. Thankfully most people were well educated about why to get it.
Load More Replies...
Parmeisan 8 months ago
I had a reaction to penicillin several years back and my kidneys shut down. I was in the hospital for more than two weeks, with a shunt in my neck so they could do dialysis to keep me alive. My nephrologist (kidney expert) has since given me a clean bill of health, said my kidneys are fully healed up, but 1) I shouldn't take any kind of medication that's hard on the kidneys if I can help it, so lots of over-the-counter stuff for migraines etc is off-limits for me, and 2) I need to avoid the entire class of "beta lactam" antibiotics because they might k**l me. Twice, TWICE now I have had a doctor prescribe me an antibiotic and then swear that it wasn't a beta lactam antibiotic, only for the pharmacist to tell me that it was. One was probably an honest (but terrifyingly stupid) mistake; the other had had the gall to ask me what I knew about beta lactams and then apparently decided that my answer was lacking and he could completely disregard my concerns.
PunchinelloTX 8 months ago (edited)
Men get weird stuff, too. Twenty-five years ago, I had a male doctor ask me why I wasn’t married. Not wanting to do the whole coming-out to my Christian GP thing at the time, I just shrugged and waited for my gastric reflux prescription. He winked at me and said, “ought not to have any trouble gettin’ a girl with the size of those feet.” True story—he’s an old man in jail now for overprescribing certain meds.
Mel in Georgia 8 months ago
Brought my teenage daughter in for a checkup. Asked the young female doctor about getting my daughter the HPV vaccine, which can prevent a type of STD and cervical cancer. She refused to give it because "It encourages girls to have pre-marital s*x." WTF??
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
It's part of the regular vaccine schedule for high school students in Australia, has been since about 2006. Thankfully most people were well educated about why to get it.
Load More Replies... Parmeisan 8 months ago
I had a reaction to penicillin several years back and my kidneys shut down. I was in the hospital for more than two weeks, with a shunt in my neck so they could do dialysis to keep me alive. My nephrologist (kidney expert) has since given me a clean bill of health, said my kidneys are fully healed up, but 1) I shouldn't take any kind of medication that's hard on the kidneys if I can help it, so lots of over-the-counter stuff for migraines etc is off-limits for me, and 2) I need to avoid the entire class of "beta lactam" antibiotics because they might k**l me. Twice, TWICE now I have had a doctor prescribe me an antibiotic and then swear that it wasn't a beta lactam antibiotic, only for the pharmacist to tell me that it was. One was probably an honest (but terrifyingly stupid) mistake; the other had had the gall to ask me what I knew about beta lactams and then apparently decided that my answer was lacking and he could completely disregard my concerns.
PunchinelloTX 8 months ago (edited)
Men get weird stuff, too. Twenty-five years ago, I had a male doctor ask me why I wasn’t married. Not wanting to do the whole coming-out to my Christian GP thing at the time, I just shrugged and waited for my gastric reflux prescription. He winked at me and said, “ought not to have any trouble gettin’ a girl with the size of those feet.” True story—he’s an old man in jail now for overprescribing certain meds.
Related on Bored Panda
