Why I Don't Like Going to the Doctor (besides me being a man)

I went to the doctor today. It turns out the kids at school had likely given me some conjunctivitis (geez, thanks--you shouldn't have). It wasn't my regular doctor (not that I would call my doctor "regular" since I've only been to him once last year) as we're in a different city.

And it wasn't a bad experience. It was urgent care as that was what was available on a Saturday afternoon on Memorial Day weekend. I called ahead; they said they only had one or two people waiting. When I got there the nurse called my name before I had even finished checking in. I've never had an appointment ready that quickly. And they took care of me well. 

But here's what I dislike about our health care system.

1. Redundancy. I had to tell three separate people my medical allergies. That should have only happened once. Wait. That shouldn't have needed to happen at all. It doesn't make sense to me that when I visit a new doctor, they don't have any access of my health history. We're in the 21st century. Shouldn't doctors be able to share that information easily so they can treat us fully? Almost any time I visit a medical facility, I end up telling three or four people the same information over and over again. 

2. Inconsistency. This is not so much in the health care system (though I know it is there at times), but in some of the professionals. Of the three people I interacted with, I was probably the lightest one, and I know I have more poundage than I need (I've been working on it, honest). The doctor easily had 125 pounds on me. Never trust a skinny chef, but why would I trust an overweight doctor? I'm also always surprised at the number of staff at hospitals who smoke.  Plenty of people are frustrated with hypocrisy in the church (and I admit to contributing to it), but what about some of the healthcare professionals? 

3. Bureaucracy. Of the three people I spent time with, the one I spent the least amount of time with will get paid the most. The doctor came was with me for probably less than a minute. He didn't really even look at my eye. He was just there out of obligation. I get that the doctor has the most knowledge and education, and has to be the one who signs off, but it's driven by liability and litigation. 

Please don't tell me that our nation has the best health care system in the world. A). We don't (if we did, why does our country not lead in life expectancy, lowest infant mortality rates, and several other areas?). B). Even if it was the best, there is certainly much room for improvement. I wish that instead of forcing the government to get involved that there was a way for the system to reform itself.

Admittedly, I'm not that knowledgeable, so I'd love to hear from readers in medical professions.