We have to ask ourselves whether medicine is to remain a humanitarian and respected profession or a new but depersonalized science in the service of prolonging life rather than diminishing human suffering. – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was onto something. This is a question many people need to ask themselves. Doctors, dentists, orthodontists, surgeons, and patients alike. Whatever happened to bedside manner? Nowadays, you can just walk in, fill out paperwork, get a few quick questions answered and the doctors will be done with you. I am lucky enough to have a nice general physician, but when it comes to the other areas, I’ve noticed a great lack of bedside manner.

However, the issue of health care being depersonalized goes a little past bedside manner. It is in the United States health care system and no doubt, other countries health care systems as well. I will not sit here and pretend that everywhere in the world has it better than us when it comes to health care. Though, some places do and you can’t deny that. The truth is, the United States health care system will rob you blind.

You either are unemployed and can barely afford to take care of yourself. You may or may not qualify for Medicaid or some other type of assistance, but it can be unlikely, given your situation. You may be employed and given insurance benefits, but the insurance only pays so little for you. You may be employed and your employer gives you no benefits so you have to pay out of pocket and when you see THAT price, you decide to buy insurance, but wait—if you buy that insurance, you’re basically paying what you would pay out of pocket, anyway! It hasn’t helped and won’t help. You are locked and in a situation you can’t get out of.

If a doctor went to school to become a doctor because he or she wanted to help people who were sick, they should remember this when they are working on the job. However, it seems not many people do. In the end, true humanitarian health care would be free, point blank. Therefore, Elisabeth was right: Medicine has become depersonalized.