Peacock’s Dr. Death and Why My Distrust of Doctors Feels Vindicated

I just finished binge-watching Peacock’s Dr. Death starring Joshua Jackson, Christian Slater, and Alec Baldwin. No spoilers, but it tells the story of real life Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon, who botched the surgeries of over 30 patients. While watching the series, something that stuck out to me the most was the hesitancy that some of Dr. Duntsch’s patients, or family members of his patients, felt about being treated by him. Maybe this was fictionalized, but I found myself yelling at the screen, trust your instincts…don’t do it!

I’m not a doctor hopper but I have been known to switch doctors from time to time, especially when I feel I’m not being heard or frankly, if I question the abilities of the doctor. This doesn’t mean that the doctor is a quack (even though they can be), it just means they aren’t giving their optimal best for my optimal health. I know doctors are busy. Their jobs are stressful. I know they are human and make mistakes. I also know that some overbook and see too many patients to be effective. I also know some are incompetent, make way too many mistakes to still have a license, or are just in it for the money. Unfortunately, I have the reputation amongst my family for never being satisfied with medical care. This, however, isn’t true. I’ve had great medical care over the years. I’m also Black and…