Have you ever been treated by a doctor who refuses to listen to anything you say and insists that their diagnosis is correct, even though they haven’t run the necessary tests? It’s an unpleasant feeling.
While it’s nice to think that every healthcare provider is committed to healing and caring for their patients, the reality is that some are driven by selfishness and a sense of superiority.
The medical profession has its fair share of narcissists whose behavior and belief in their own superiority and indestructibility can negatively impact patient care.
In this article, I want to discuss how to identify a narcissistic physician and the potential impact their psychological condition can have on patients.
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Understanding this issue empowers patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare and advocate for the treatment they deserve.
6 Signs of a Narcissistic Physician
Certain specific behaviors and tendencies make physicians with Narcissistic Personality Disorder stand out from the crowd.
Patients often look up to narcissistic doctors because they are overly confident in their abilities, exaggerate their accomplishments, and undermine other doctors with derogatory comments about them.
Unfortunately, admiring a narcissistic doctor can be detrimental to your health because they will never care about your recovery as much as they care about their own status and image.
That’s why it’s so important to know how to spot a narcissistic doctor, which you can easily do by looking for the following signs:
1 Excessive Self-Importance
A narcissistic doctor will constantly exaggerate their accomplishments, abilities, and medical expertise. They may claim to be the best in their field and project an aura of superiority that makes those around them feel less important.
For example, a narcissistic doctor may constantly interrupt their patient with statements like, “I’ve seen hundreds of cases like yours, and they always turn out to be nothing to worry about,” or dismiss your concerns with a trivial comment like, “You’re lucky to have me as your doctor; I’m known for my exceptional diagnostic skills.”
During the consultation, the narcissistic physician will constantly ignore the patient’s questions or try to express their feelings and redirect the conversation to their own accomplishments.
The selfish need for admiration and validation leads the physician to minimize the patient’s concerns and focus on promoting their own superiority rather than providing compassionate and attentive care.
2 Need for Admiration
Narcissistic physicians crave constant praise and admiration from their colleagues and patients.
They constantly need people to validate their skills and knowledge and will take every opportunity to share stories of their extraordinary surgical results or innovative techniques.
The narcissistic physician expects colleagues to follow instructions without question. They will often dismiss anyone who offers a different opinion or challenges their decisions, even their own patient.
The need to impress may become so intense that the narcissistic physician will deliberately complicate a surgical procedure so that they can showcase their surgical skills, putting the patient unnecessarily at risk.
3 Lack of Empathy
Empathy is crucial in healthcare, but a narcissistic physician may show little concern for patients’ feelings, dismissing their concerns or appearing indifferent to their suffering.
For example, narcissistic physicians may dismiss their patients’ concerns, saying, “Oh, don’t worry. I’ve done countless surgeries like yours and always get the best results.”
If the patient continues to express concerns about the procedure or recovery, the narcissistic physician will become increasingly impatient, telling the patient, “Let’s not focus on feelings. I’m here to monitor your heart condition, so let’s stick to that for now. If you follow my instructions and take your medication, you don’t have to worry.”
A narcissistic physician tends to ignore, interrupt, and divert attention away from the patient to his or her medical expertise.
4 Exploitative Behavior
Narcissistic physicians tend to exploit their position for personal gain, whether financial or emotional.
For example, a narcissistic physician treating a patient with heart disease may ignore the patient’s concerns about his condition getting worse. He would rather focus on a more challenging condition that will earn him more admiration and respect.
He may ignore the patient’s concerns and refuse to perform routine tests because he has been managing the condition effectively for years.
If the patient persists, he may become aggressive, saying, “I am the expert here. I know what is best for you. Tests are expensive and unnecessary in your case. Trust me; your symptoms will subside with the medication I prescribe.”
He may even accuse the patient of being overly dramatic, saying, “I have treated hundreds of patients with heart disease, and they all trust my judgment. You should too.”
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In this case, the narcissistic physician is putting his patient’s life at risk by using manipulative behavior and refusing to perform necessary tests.
Instead of focusing on the patient’s distress and worsening symptoms, they use their position of authority to manipulate the patient into accepting their diagnosis and treatment plan without question.
The narcissistic physician also prioritizes his ego and desire for control and status over providing patient-centered care.
5 Lack of Accountability
Narcissistic physicians may avoid responsibility for medical errors, blaming others, including the patient.
For example, a patient is experiencing pain and discomfort after a surgical procedure and seeks reassurance and clarity.
Instead of providing that, the narcissistic physician responds defensively, saying, “I’m a very skilled surgeon, and my success rate speaks for itself. It’s not my responsibility if your body doesn’t respond well to the procedure. You must have some underlying health condition that you failed to tell us about.”
Despite the patient’s ongoing suffering and attempts at accountability, the narcissistic physician consistently avoids blame and avoids taking responsibility for the complications he experiences after surgery.
Instead of addressing the patient’s concerns, he prioritizes his reputation and ego, making him feel unheard and neglected.
6 Failure to Listen
They may dominate conversations, interrupt patients, and seem more interested in discussing themselves than understanding their needs.
For example, a patient complains of frequent headaches and dizziness, which are severe enough to interfere with their daily life. The narcissistic physician dismisses their concerns, saying, “It’s probably just stress or lack of sleep. Take some painkillers, and you’ll be fine.”
When the patient asks if there are any tests he can run to get to the bottom of the problem, the physician refuses to reconsider his initial diagnosis, saying, “Tests are unnecessary at this point. I’ve been practicing medicine for years, and I can tell you it’s nothing serious. Trust me; I know what I’m doing.”
Here, the narcissistic physician continually interrupts and dismisses the patient’s concerns without giving them a chance to fully express their symptoms.
Their self-centered behavior is clearly evident as they prioritize their own assumptions and experiences over actively listening to the patient’s concerns.
This behavior can lead to a delay in diagnosis or treatment, potentially putting the patient at risk.
How prevalent is narcissism in the medical profession?
Narcissism is less prevalent in the medical profession than might be expected, with studies showing that healthcare professionals score lower on narcissism than the general population.
A 2015 UK study found that “surgeons, among the medical professionals, reported significantly higher levels of narcissism” and that among the surgical specialties represented in the study, “vascular surgery had the highest mean score for narcissism.”
This is understandable, given that they work in a specialty that requires them to make difficult decisions with confidence and a fundamental belief in their abilities.
The study states that “this is particularly true in vascular surgery, where the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is enough to tear a hole in most people’s underwear.”
In nursing, the incidence of narcissism is extremely low, as are critical care, cardiology, and geriatrics, where the prospects for high status are limited.
How to Deal with a Narcissistic Doctor?
If you encounter a narcissistic doctor, you should be prepared to deal with the situation proactively.
Remember, as a patient, you have a right to the best possible care, which means having a doctor who listens to you, empathizes with your condition, and prioritizes your needs.
Failure to do so could set you up for negligent or indifferent behavior, misdiagnosis, and substandard treatment.
Trust your instincts
If you feel uncomfortable or uneasy about your doctor’s behavior, take those feelings seriously.
Trust your instincts and address your concerns. It may be helpful to note how your doctor’s behavior bothers you or why you feel his or her behavior could jeopardize your treatment.
SeekASecondOpinion
If you have doubts about your doctor’s diagnosis or treatment plan, consider seeking a second opinion from another medical professional.
A different perspective may be all it takes to give you the clarity and peace of mind you seek.
Document your experiences
Record all your consultations and interactions with your doctor, including any behaviors that concern or upset you, such as dismissive attitudes or boundary violations.
Specific examples can be helpful if you decide to bring the matter up with higher authorities.
Advocate for yourself
Don’t be afraid to speak up and advocate for your health needs. If your concerns aren’t taken seriously, express your feelings and preferences clearly.
Discuss your concerns with your doctor
If you feel comfortable, express your concerns directly to your doctor. Be assertive but respectful in communicating how their behavior is affecting your care and well-being.
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If you lack the confidence to address your concerns directly with your doctor, consider engaging a patient advocate or ombudsman who can support and guide you.
Seek support
Talk to friends, family, or support groups about your experiences. A support network can provide emotional validation and help you deal with difficult situations.
Reporting Ethical Violations
If you believe that a doctor’s behavior is unethical or harmful, consider reporting your concerns to the relevant medical authorities or the institution where the doctor practices.
Changing Doctors If Needed
If your concerns are not adequately addressed, consider finding a new doctor who makes you feel comfortable and respected.
Not all doctors who exhibit certain traits are narcissists, and making such judgments can be difficult.
However, if you consistently feel that your doctor does not hear you, does not respect you, or treats you poorly, protecting your health and finding the best possible care is crucial.
What impact does a narcissistic physician have on patient care?
I have previously touched on some of the consequences of being treated by a narcissistic physician.
However, I would like to expand on these concepts and highlight some other potential concerns about how a narcissistic physician may impact your treatment and level of care.
Lack of Empathy
One of the most disturbing aspects of being treated by a narcissistic physician is their refusal to address your concerns.
Their lack of empathy means that the narcissistic physician fails to provide care that takes into account all of the patient’s emotional, cognitive, and biological needs.
According to a study on empathy in general practice, “the physician’s ability to establish an empathetic understanding of their patient’s condition is essential to the development of a therapeutic relationship.
This relationship is critical to the effective practice of medicine.”
In other words, a narcissistic physician who lacks empathy also fails to practice medicine effectively.
Self-Image
A narcissistic physician who is only concerned with improving his or her own status, public image, and career path may complicate a patient’s treatment simply so that he or she can demonstrate his or her abilities.
For example, he or she may recommend a more complex surgical procedure than is necessary simply because he or she wants to impress others by demonstrating his or her surgical expertise.
Refusal to Back Down
Once a narcissistic physician has made a diagnosis, he or she will often resist any further suggestions or alternative theories.
He or she may even refuse to perform tests because he or she is so certain of his or her diagnosis that he or she does not feel that further evidence is needed.
This can lead to a misdiagnosis or the neglect of a more complex health problem, potentially putting the patient’s life at risk.
Bullying
Because of their exaggerated sense of self-importance and an overwhelming desire to appear superior, narcissistic physicians may resort to intimidation or bullying tactics to ensure that their diagnosis is unequivocally accepted by their peers, even when there are doubts about its accuracy.
This behavior can have serious consequences, as it can prevent a thorough examination of the patient’s condition and lead to an incorrect or incomplete diagnosis.
