My vote is for the worst doctors in the city

Most cities have a list of the best doctors...or lawyers, or dentists, or architects, etc. Instead I suggest that we publish the worst doctors.

First, I have to admit that I haven't been the best at anything that I have done. I also know that even if I am good at what I do there will always be somebody, somewhere, better at it than me, even if I was considered the best in my confined area. This the law of the West, where there is always a better gun, and the rest of the world. So I have become resigned to being a strong person at what I do but not the best. But the best also seems rather hard to define in such a deep and complicated field as medicine...or law, or architecture, or any adult profession except professional sports where winning is the definition of success.

Look at it this way, the best doctors have become that way because they have been in practice long enough to establish a reputation with patients and other medical professionals. But this means that they have already been receiving a number of referrals that have left patients and referring physicians impressed with their work. And they are probably quite good at what they do, so this means there are already a number of patients clamoring for their services and you could wait until your dead until you see them, or be referred to one of their partners, which kind of defeats the purpose of the list. I tried to get into a gastroenterologist (age 50=colonoscopy) that was one of Seattle's best and was told that I couldn't see him for about six months. By then I could have cancer and be dead, or at least vomiting blood, or having other messy problems, that would leave me unsatisfied. If I wanted this I could try to find a doctor in Canada or, God forbid, in England (sarcasm marker here).

Instead why not list the worst doctors in the community. At least this would allow one to know who not to see, and it would allow the unknowing to get an appointment in a reasonable time frame with a perfectly fine doctor. Maybe they wouldn't be the best but they wouldn't be the worst either. If you believe in lists, somewhere tomorrow, a patient will be walking into the office of the worst physician in the nation (thanks John Robinson). I would rather avoid this than wait 6 months to see the best.

This is meant to be tongue in cheek since I think the legal ramifications for any publication to take this on would be huge, but it also isn't without merit because doctors and nurse, those usually polled for these Best Of... lists, also know who not to see. Perhaps when a friend or family member asks who to see in the community we, as doctors and nurses, should tell them who not to see instead.