“We’ve heard stories,” the father tells me authoritatively. “Doctors miss things. We want to make sure it’s just a stomach bug, and not something worse.”
“I already know why I’m here,” the man in the bright-green hoodie informs me, even before the door is closed.
Stifling a sigh, I paste on a smile and sit across from him. The know-it-alls are some of the toughest patients I deal with on a daily basis. Sometimes they’re saturated with Doctor Google (mis)information, and sometimes they’re just stubborn.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Rubin. Can you please tell me some of your symptoms?”
“Fine.” (Cue the obnoxious eye roll.) “I’ve been coughing for a few days, and I have a scratchy feeling in my throat. My nose is running, and I’m feeling tired and run-down. I need some antibiotics, not a body scan,” he informs me.
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