GP Straight Up Googling Your Symptoms In Front Of You

SANDY FRASER | Youth | CONTACT

A young woman in Betoota Heights has been left wondering what exactly it is doctors do at uni for 8 years following a visit to her local GP. 

Bethany Miles (24), who hadn’t been to the doctors since 2022, decided she best bite the bullet and head in for a check-up. 

Being 15 minutes early, Beth was subjected to an excruciating half hour in the waiting room.

Her doctor, Robbie Wood, came out with a clipboard and called her name. She followed him to the small office and took a seat.

After listening to the young woman’s symptoms, which involved a small rash on the underside of her foot, Dr Wood cupped his chin and thought solemnly for just a moment. 

“Hmmmm,” he said. 

“Hmmmm. Hm. Hm. Hm. Yep, I’ve definitely seen something like this before.”

“I’m just trying to think. Give me a sec.”

Dr Wood turned away from Bethany and began typing quickly on his computer with the screen in full view. 

‘Rash on bottom of foot. Stinging. Red.’ were the words he punched into Google. 

The AI overview feature quickly got to work, delivering Dr Wood an almost immediate diagnosis: Dyshidrotic Eczema. He swivelled his chair back towards Bethany. 

“I think it’s Dyshidrotic Eczema,” he said. 

“So here’s what you’re gonna want to do. No prescription needed today, just head to the chemist, and pick out a hydrocortisone cream.”

“It’ll be on the shelves. Ask a pharmacist for a hand if you can’t find it.”

Dr Wood finished scribbling the name of the cream in an illegible font on a torn piece of lined paper and handed it to her. 

“Ok. Ba-bye now, Beth, see you next time,” he added, ushering her quickly out of his office and murmuring something to the middle-aged receptionist that made her giggle. 

The receptionist pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and focused her attention on her screen in front of her. 

“Ok that’ll be $180 today, you’ll get $90 back on Medicare, have we got that one on file?” she said. 

Beth nodded. 

“Great. When you’re ready,” she spun the Eftpos machine around to Beth who somberly tapped her card. 

Her day only continued downhill when she discovered the cream had no discount applied at Chemist Warehouse. 

More to come.