What is your style of practice?

One of the things that I would usually get our Medical Students and GP Registrars to reflect upon is this....

There are 4 main styles with which to practice Clinical Medicine. Each style has its pros and cons. Each is good for some situations, and bad in others. 

1 Dr Expert=I am the expert. I have the knowledge. I give advice and you should follow that advice. This can be suitable for acute emergencies but may not be so ideal for chronic health as it can be very disempowering for the patient. It can also be very frustrating when patients do not follow the advice because when we give “expert” advice, we may subconsciously expect it to be followed. This can be a great recipe for stress for both the Doctor and the patient. 

2 Dr Google=very logical, rational and detached. 

This maybe workable when patients want complete autonomy and don't really need the connection. They just want great non biased advice and a "take it or leave it" approach. Dr Google would not be suitable for some obviously.

3 Dr Coach. We are in this together. We are partners in your health. I facilitate your decision making and help you achieve what you want to achieve. I will help to motivate, encourage, and guide you. I want to empower you to look after you.  This is great for chronic health but may not be suitable for acute emergencies. Imagine a patient who is critically ill in front of us, and we want to explore options with our patient to facilitate their decision making. 

4 Dr Eclectic. Use all of the above in different context and at different stages of the consult whenever required. 

So which one are you?