Whenever we go to the hospital for a checkup, the doctors give us prescriptions for specific medicines. When we try to read the prescription, we hardly understand a word yet, the ones at the pharmacy understand it without a hitch. As a result, they give us the medicines that we require.
Don't worry, you are not the only one to experience this.
I'm sure that most of you never understood what the doctor had written in the prescription. The way that they write is really sloppy and messy compared to other professionals. It's no wonder that many of us non-medical individuals find it difficult to decipher their writings.
When we look at the medical profession, almost everyone seems to have some issues regarding their issues. Yet, some do actually have good handwriting but rarely.
But have you ever wondered why is it so?
Why do Doctors have bad handwriting? or Why is doctors handwriting so hard to understand?
Well, I have wondered a lot about it but no one actually gave me a proper answer. If you also want to know the answer then don't worry, I got you covered. I think I have figured out a proper reason for this handwriting issue and it's actually a legit one.
Over the years, this issue has become so common that people even made memes on it. I don't know if this is relatable to you or not but here's a small story that I would like to share. During our academic session, we had a classmate whose handwriting was really bad and quite sloppy.
Literally, her handwriting was exactly what you would see on a doctor's prescription note. And because of that, we used to call her 'the future doctor'.
Not only us but even she used to find it difficult to understand her own handwriting. (If you are reading this, I'm really sorry for that and for mentioning this story.)
Doctors don't really have bad handwriting since their birth or their primary academy. Instead, most of them actually have really good handwriting during their primary academic sessions. To be more precise, bad handwriting is something that they develop over the course of their life and academic studies. It's the situation that makes their writing bad.
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I'm not a medical student but I at least know that medical field students have to study much more than any other field. Until secondary level, it's the same for everyone but after that, medical students have to go through much more studying and learning processes.
So, it's common that your friends who have chosen the medical field are always busy and seldom free.
Doctors or anyone from the medical field have to study from the basic foundation of life to the most complex ones. Starting from the cells and single-celled creatures to the most advanced ones - their evolution, physical structure, anatomy, history, and much more. It's a lifelong process and it puts a lot of pressure on them - both, physically as well as mentally.
They don't only study but they have to write a lot as well. By 'a lot' I mean really a lot. If you ask me, I would say that they would complete writing a copy in half a month. Along with classwork and homework, they need to write notes and draw various diagrams which is much more workload.
Also, there are exams as well which have a separate workload and pressure.
The more ironic thing is that they have to continue this cycle for the rest of their academic sessions - until bachelor and further studies. And due to the amount of stress they bear, some doctors even face hair loss issues. On top of all these issues, they need to remember all the learnings, diagrams, and notes all their life.
Now Just imagine, is it really possible to write all those years effortlessly while maintaining proper handwriting?
That's right. It's not possible to maintain good writing with regard to that cycle. And one cannot become a doctor if he/she doesn't follow that cycle. So, doctors sacrifice their good handwriting over maintaining good speed and learn more effortlessly. As a result, their handwriting deteriorates over the years.
Even as a non-medical individual, I find it really hard to maintain good writing over a long period of time. I'm a lazy person and I really wouldn't, to be honest. While doing my assignments, I write in like 10 different styles that I don't even know why.
Also, doctors need to keep medical records of each and every patient which is a huge number of records. So, to complete more checkups and medical works in less time, doctors give priority to speed over writing. I hope that this clears your doubts and queries regarding the issue.
And if you are wondering that how other medical professionals are able able to understand the writings then it's simple. They belong to the same profession (medical), don't they?
So, they understand the writings as they have worked for several years and the majority of the medical professionals have similar kinda writing. Hence, the ones at the pharmacy can easily decipher the doctor's writing.
Conclusion:
The medical field is really hard to pursue and those who became successful have gone through a lot of trauma throughout their life. The ones who have chosen the medical field have prepared themselves for the trauma and that's no joke. They should be appreciated much more for their contributions. After all, the ones they are studying is for us. They learn in order to treat others and serve the people. I really appreciate them for their kind work.
Next time, I hope you would understand the reason and not blame doctors for their bad writing. Even if you ask them, they wouldn't be able to answer it because it has developed over time. And if you find that a doctor does have good writing, be sure to appreciate it. Even after all the years of writing and trauma, they still managed to maintain proper writing.
And That's all I would like to say and I hope that this answer was able to satisfy your curiosity/query.
Best Regards!!