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General Discussion => General Discussion Boards => Other General Discussion => Topic started by: polysaccharide on March 15, 2010, 09:53:13 pm

Title: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: polysaccharide on March 15, 2010, 09:53:13 pm
From what I have observed since young, doctors tend to have handwritings that are not very legible. I have always wondered whether other co-workers could understand those writings and why they write in such a manner...
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: GerrySly on March 15, 2010, 09:57:10 pm
From what I have observed since young, doctors tend to have handwritings that are not very legible. I have always wondered whether other co-workers could understand those writings and why they write in such a manner...

Think about the amount of schooling they have gone through, I'd be writing pretty shit by the end as well haha

My GP also likes to get me out quick so it's mostly abbreviated words in sloppy super fast writing
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: polysaccharide on March 15, 2010, 10:00:57 pm
So, the legibility of one's handwriting is inversely proportional to his/her schooling?...
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: Gloamglozer on March 15, 2010, 10:01:09 pm
From what I have observed since young, doctors tend to have handwritings that are not very legible. I have always wondered whether other co-workers could understand those writings and why they write in such a manner...

That's very stereotypical.  My GP writes like an artist (sort of).  Guess it really depends...
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: polysaccharide on March 15, 2010, 10:03:28 pm
Yes, I know it depends. From what I have seen, most of them tend to have messy writings.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: TrueLight on March 15, 2010, 10:06:10 pm
who knows why... maybe they always type on computers throughout their whole time in school and training... so they write dodgy... and they are probably lazy and want to get through the day faster .
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: shinny on March 15, 2010, 10:09:45 pm
Because of the amount of coffee we drink to get through a day.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: QuantumJG on March 15, 2010, 10:13:29 pm
Doctors generally have to make sure they divide their time accordingly, so they write illegibly. When I'm in a lecture my hand writing is much worse than how I usually write, since I hate being a scribe and try to maximise my time actually focussing on the lecture.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: slothpomba on March 15, 2010, 11:46:32 pm
http://www.bmj.com/archive/7072ww3.htm

Myth slayed.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: shinny on March 15, 2010, 11:49:54 pm
http://www.bmj.com/archive/7072ww3.htm

Myth slayed.

Guess that makes sense. Most people's hand writing sucks, but how often do we see other people handwrite these days? I guess it's more of a case of exposure.

Well, that or my caffeine theory.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: slothpomba on March 15, 2010, 11:53:22 pm
Yeah probably the caffeine theory... speaking of caffeine... man i miss the "death coffee" from school could use some right now.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: mandy on March 15, 2010, 11:58:28 pm
Yeah probably the caffeine theory... speaking of caffeine... man i miss the "death coffee" from school could use some right now.

What's the "death coffee" ?
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: kendraaaaa on March 15, 2010, 11:59:03 pm
Yeah probably the caffeine theory... speaking of caffeine... man i miss the "death coffee" from school could use some right now.

What's the "death coffee" ?

+1

 I am quite intrigued
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: slothpomba on March 15, 2010, 11:59:48 pm
Ridiculously strong coffee...
Strong enough to simultaneously wake the dead and kill you nah but really that stuff wakes me up even if i smell it

Ive had nodoz and caffeine tablets before but this coffee is just something else
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: mandy on March 16, 2010, 12:08:12 am
Ridiculously strong coffee...
Strong enough to simultaneously wake the dead and kill you nah but really that stuff wakes me up even if i smell it

Ive had nodoz and caffeine tablets before but this coffee is just something else

Lol, and this "death coffee" came from school? Hahahahaha, what.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: slothpomba on March 16, 2010, 01:07:29 am
Make sense with all the homework our chemistry teacher reckons we can get by on 4 hours then again this is the same dude with an "idiot ball" with students names on it and threatens us with crucifixtion for not doing homework. Haha what a great guy
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: Fyrefly on March 16, 2010, 12:52:39 pm

Omg... as a medical receptionist, doctor's handwriting is a nightmare.
I've gotten better at reading it, but sometimes it's just completely illegible.
Personally, I had attributed it to the fact that only one of our doctors is from an English-speaking background.

If you compare any of our receptionists' handwriting to that of any of our doctors', the receptionists would win hands-down every time.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: slothpomba on March 16, 2010, 03:43:16 pm
Pretty dangerous field to have bad handwriting in too
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: polysaccharide on March 16, 2010, 05:44:24 pm
maybe doctors used their brains too much
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: Eriny on March 24, 2010, 05:38:10 pm
I'm more concerned by the poor typing skills of doctors. I makes me want to write my own damn prescriptions!
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: the.watchman on March 24, 2010, 05:39:45 pm
I'm more concerned by the poor typing skills of doctors. I makes me want to write my own damn prescriptions!

You can't talk :D (jks)
But they're not that bad, isn't it usually the typist's fault anyway? :P
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: shinny on March 24, 2010, 05:50:44 pm
I've never heard of doctors having bad typing skills o.O
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: Eriny on March 24, 2010, 08:54:42 pm
not bad as such, just slow. They're two finger typists!

and lol at my typo.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: shinny on March 24, 2010, 09:03:38 pm
Really? I think it's more of a case of age since most doctors you'd know are fairly old, and most people that old aren't that great at typing anyway. I think MSN and Facebook has really stepped up typing speeds nowadays.
Title: Re: Why do doctors have messy handwritings?
Post by: slothpomba on March 24, 2010, 11:51:02 pm
Yeah once i started using msn, facebook and irc, man, my typing speed shot up.

My doctor doesnt use a computer at all in his office, not even sure if he uses one at home. I keep thinking how much easier it would be for him. He still keeps his records in filing cabinets and manilla folders.

He is rather old though... doesn't make him any less of a good doctor.