AIBU or was the Doctor correct?

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I visited my GP this morning, I’m not someone who visits them regularly and I’ve been putting off this visit for a while.

He asked me what the visit was for. I started to say that I ‘thought’ I may have IBS, ‘woah’ he said, ‘that’s for me to decide, not you’.

Okay, so I started describing my symptoms. ‘You’ve been reading too much google you have’ he said ‘just use the word tummy, no need to say abdomen’ big sigh, roll eyes.

It put me on the back foot and I felt awkward to further explain my symptoms in case he pulled me up on my terminology again.

I do think I may have some issues with bile acid malabsorption but didn’t like to say in case he pulled me up on it. I just said I had yellow / orange stool. ‘POO’ he said.

I came away feeling like he thinks I’m some kind of hypochondriac who obsessively checks google for everything. Yes I have had a read to try and see what’s up with me but AIBU? Or was he rude?

Not that it’s relevant but I have a science degree and am very familiar with the right terminology for things, I could have been a nurse or doctor as far as he knew!!

I came away really annoyed. AIBU?

I would complain to the practise to be honest! How DARE he tell you not to use the correct terminology to describe your symptoms!!

How bloody patronising!!

Ask to see a different doctor and do not get fobbed off.

Rude and arrogant

Yes I would make a formal complaint (in writing) too and request another appointment with a different GP.

That’s a disgustingly patronising way to speak to a patient.

What a dick. Definitely worth a word with the practice manager.

Surely patients should be encouraged to describe their symptoms in whatever language they feel comfortable with? I would complain to the practice manager and ask to see someone else.

Rude! Complain! Honestly he didn't want to help, he wanted to patronize you.

I'd complain too, the way he spoke to you is not acceptable.

He sounds like a complete tool. I'm not a medic but have a biology PhD and my work relates to pharma so using medical terminology is second nature to me - often I find it more comfortable than using lay terms to be honest. Usually I find when I give my history I get asked if I'm a medic, I say 'biologist' and we proceed on that basis. I've never had anyone get arsey with me! Surely a good clinician proceeds with the terms the patient is most comfortable with as that's the best way to get a good history?!

That is so rude and patronising - I've had similar though. A hospital doctor once said to me 'I won't bother explaining what's wrong with you because you wouldn't understand anyway' The words she thought I would struggle with were 'abdomen' and 'haematoma' (guess what I had a haematoma in my abdomen!) I told her to try me, and it turned out I understood fine. Much to her irritation.

Some doctors have a thing about you saying what you think is wrong with you, but what else are you going to say ? It's just arrogance. IBS is a fairly well known condition and many people will have heard of it - not at all unreasonable to mention it as a concern.

What a patronising arse! V old way of thinking - medical terminology only to be used by clinicians, not recognising that patients are experts in their own care. I'd certainly feedback to them about your experience.

Yep he needs to learn communication.

Not that it’s relevant but I have a science degree and am very familiar with the right terminology for things

Me too. The normal process is dr’s hear the medical terminology and ask what my background is.

Only once has someone accused me of dr google. Dh was with me and did the roll eyes and said no she has a phd in medical science. That shut them up.

To be fair he was very thorough, he kept me there for 40 minutes but he clearly felt I was some anxious idiot who had googled themselves into a frenzy.

All I did was go in and try to describe my symptoms! I have to go back and see him after my blood results come back. I’m going to speak exactly how I want and if he pulls me up again I’ll tell him I’ll use whatever terminology gets my symptoms across to him! The more I’ve thought about it the more annoyed I’ve become!!

Just remembered that years ago I got told off by a doctor for using the word 'fontanelle' to describe my baby's fontanelle. He asked 'where did you learn that word?'

I just remind myself of the old joke -
What's the difference between a doctor and God ? -
God doesn't think he's a doctor.

COMPLAIN. This is absolutely not on. He has a serious superiority complex. I work in healthcare and believe me 9 times out of 10 doctors usually prefer if you’ve done some sort of brainstorming about what might be going on because it gives them something to go off of. It might not be correct but it gives a better understanding of your symptoms.

Also again sorry just to stress that I work in healthcare and I can’t ever imagine complaining if someone used terms like you did. So so weird that he pulled you up on it.

This is seriously not okay. I’m so sorry this happened to you.

And he was a new doctor to the practice, quite young, no more than 30 yrs old!

Tummy? Poo? Does he think you are 5??

What a patronising twat. I’m pretty laid back but I would be furious at being spoken to like this. Doctors surely expect patients to have looked into their symptoms nowadays. It’s not a bad thing.

I agree with pp’s about making a complaint and asking for a second opinion. Make sure you let them know about his disregard for proper terminology. Dick.

Yeah that's completely bizarre and poor bedside manner. Many people struggle to talk about those sorts of issues so interrupting and quibbling over semantics seems bad form

He sounds like a twat. Who uses the word ‘tummy’ after the age of about 5? Or ‘poo’ for that matter.
I’d complain to the practice manager.

Definitely complain then. He needs to learn. If he continues talking to women like this for the rest of his career god help us all.

I would definitely complain he was totally inappropriate. If he carries on like this he will offend others. I'm actually quite incensed for you.

Also - and I appreciate you're not a small child! - my understanding was that it was better from a safeguarding perspective for children to be taught the right words for parts of the body etc.

I would complain too. He needs to understand that it is not ok to speak to people like that. I wonder would he have spoken to man like that.

Nip that behaviour in the bud now. Patronising git with the ink still wet on his GP registration certificate.

Tummy!! Did he mistake you for a 5 year old. I'd be complaining because he is a patronising prick.

I work with kids that’s the words we use with them, even the older ones can use different words than tummy! A grown adult should be able to use what vocabulary they choose. Patronising sod.