Do you prefer male or female REAL doctors

I prefer a female Doc. Reasons are not erotic. Women tend to be more caring and interested in your needs. They also listen better. Plus, they are quite often better docs, since they still must be better than their male counterparts to succeed.

Question for the men who have seen both:

Do you find that one or the other tends to be more thorough?

No. I have had wonderfully thorough and attentive physicals from both male and female doctors. Sadly, I've also had very hurried, cursory exams from doctors of both genders.

I roll my eyes whenever someone says doctors of a certain gender are more tender, thorough, caring, knowledgeable, etc.

Some people do have that experience. Why would you roll your eyes at it?

Some people do have that experience. Why would you roll your eyes at it?

Because it's just too much of an over-generalization. To say that all male physicians are more (or less) caring than all female physicians is just ridiculous.

I prefer male doctors. I found the female doctors that I've seen to be very abrupt and not comforting or gentle.

Thats interesting because its usually the other way around. I guess it really changes from doctor to doctor.

I prefer a female doctor. I think most of the time they are more understanding and more likely to listen to you and your concerns. But I’m sure it really comes down to what kind of person they are. I’m sure there are male doctors who are understanding. I just feel personally that as a woman I’m more comfortable telling another woman intimate and personal things about myself.

I like my doctors competent. I have never had a female doctor ever do the turn your head and cough thing, but it can’t be worse than having a guy with his hand down there. My current doctor, who is female, has never gotten as up close and personal as the last time I went through a TSA screening.

It doesn't matter what the gender or age of my doctor is. What matters is how competent they are, how thorough, and whether or not we can discuss things rather than they assuming that what they want is the only option.

I had a doctor for over 30 years who was the best and now that I am looking for a new primary care physician I realize just how special the one I had was. I will keep looking until I find one.

I have no real preference when it comes to the Gender of the examining Doctor . I'm more concern with establishing a good rapport with the doctor and working towards treating the illness or alleviating the present symptoms especially if its a new doctor that I'm seeing for the first time. My philosophy has always been, Ok what can we do, how can we treat this, what steps do I have to follow etc.

Truthfully I'm more concerned with their knowledge, expertise, rapport , communication and diagnostic abilities than their gender or orientation. As when you are ill returning to good health is much more a priority. I will however add that I do like a good bedside manner, arrogant doctors or doctors with the "God Complex" really infuriates me regardless of their gender and I will happily bring them down a peg or two or three.

I will find out in a few days. On the 14th I will be seeing the new male doctor at the VA who replaces the female ARNP I have been seeing for nearly 20 years.

Then on the 30th I will be seeing the nurse they have doing my annual "wellness check" instead of the female doctor I used to see at my local provider group. They said this nurse instead of my doctor is their new policy for "wellness checks".

A day ago they called to have me schedule a physical with my doctor before she will renew the prescriptions I recently ordered from the mail order pharmacy I have been using for many years. She wants blood work that cost me over $200 the first time I saw her after my 30 year long private practice physician retired and I was forced to sign up with the hospital owned doctors group. Medicare denied payment!!!! So I told the voice on the other end that I was NOT doing that again and they would have to use the lab report I just got from the VA if they want one. That one's FREE and I just got it last week. I will drop off a copy at their office on Monday. We'll see if they like it. Maybe the VA will become my primary care resource.

By mid April I should have the answers to all these questions.

Then the cardiologist wants to see me along with the pulmonologist or whatever the lung doctor is called. They both enjoyed my presence so much last year for the first time since my bypass surgery 21 years ago they want me back. They found nothing wrong last year so they must be hoping for better results this time so they can get that new boat they've been looking at.

Then on the 30th I will be seeing the nurse they have doing my annual "wellness check"

Don't expect much from the wellness check. That's really code for "are you still alive and breathing" and not much more.

I would prefer an attractive female doctor.

The main reason is that it would feel strange to be auscultated by some I do not find attractive while thinking "wow, being stethed is attractive".

That doesn't work together for me and creates a weird situation I can not enjoy.

I agree with some of the earlier posters - I find that, in general, the female healthcare providers that I have had have largely been more thorough and attentive.

I prefer male all the way

Females whenever possible, I just am more comfortable with a female caregiver

I prefer intelligent and competent ! Don't care if female or male , a great doctor is a wonderful thing, providing you can find one. I've been looking for a primary and it's slim pickings for sure, I have great cardiologist in Chicago, 50 miles away ! Still searching.

I really prefer a male doctor, though i usually get a female in real situations 😢

The sex of my doctor doesnt really matter. i care most about how how thorough my doctor is and how intelligent they are.

For me, the sex of the doctor doesn't really matter. There are certain things I feel more comfortable, or less embarrassed, with a female, some with a male. No matter what, at some point, I'm going to feel awkward and embarrassed during our question/ answer phase as well as the physical exam, regardless of the doctors gender. It's just the nature of the beast.

I also think broad generalizations like, "Women are better listeners," or "Men are gentler and more thorough", is rubbish. Obviously, everybody will have different experiences and will form their own opinions and preferences from such experiences. Which is fine and understandable, just don't tell me that one gender is always better than ther other. "Always" and "never" is a very narrow way of viewing things. I'm sure that for some people women/ men have always been a better doctor, but that doesn't mean that every woman/ man is better and will always be that way.

The doctors competence and intelligence are important, but I think even more so for me is how their personality meshes with mine. We don't have to have the same personality, or be best buddies. Just comfortable enough with each other to ask tough questions and answer honestly without being harsh and too judgmental. Definitely has to have some sense of humor too. I'm too much of a smart ass to deal with someone who's dry.

BenDover sez:

Definitely has to have some sense of humor too. I'm too much of a smart ass to deal with someone who's dry.

Didja ever stick the finger off a latex glove in there for the doctor to find? Then tell her she must have left in there the last time.

Didja ever stick the finger off a latex glove in there for the doctor to find? Then tell her she must have left in there the last time.

Nope.

For me female ,she found. An issue male doctor let go . More through in my opinion .

It doesn’t really matter to me, but when picking a new GP I’ll pick a woman if I have no other deciding factors.

Although I don’t have a Medfet interest from the patient side, I’d just prefer to be touched by a female.

The doctor needs to be good. So it doesn´t matter if male or female.

I prefer female doctors. Don't feel that comfortable to be examined by a male, so yeah.

Well for my gyno i only see a woman. But my regular doctor has both in the office. I usually see one particular female doctor but if i really need to be seen last minute i have seen the guy.

A male doctor if possible.

I much prefer a female doctor. I'm just more comfortable with a female. In that capacity, anyway.

Male doctor! Women are nice and sexy but they ruin my fantasy in the real world. Too chatty and suspicious. Men usually play into my fantasy while still somehow maintaining professionalism. They are not too chatty and are more thorough and slow in their physical exams. Also more willing to do a hands on exam than a woman. If I mention a pain to a woman they ask the intensity and ask me to point to where it hurts. The male doctors I see pinpoint the pain themselves and ask “does this hurt” etc.

Definitely male...preferably older. Preferably with big, strong, sexy hands....one who doesn't wear gloves (don't want latex getting in the way of anything, lol). A cardiac specialist and a good amount of hair on his chest would be the icing on the cake, but I'm probably being a little too picky there 😃