"I may be alone in this, but I want my patients to know that there is no possible way I can keep up with all the medical advances and new studies that are out there. And I also want them to know that there are thousands of conditions that I learned about in medical school that I've forgotten because I've never seen or recognized them in practice.

This is important, because my patients frequently apologize for looking up things on the internet. No, don't apologize. I want you to research your condition. I want you to look things up. I want you to know about new treatments, new research, and alternative medications. Because often I don't. I may not agree with the things you've read, and that's fine too. Ask me about thinks you've read and the picture you found that looks like your rash. I can't tell you how many times a patient has come to me with a suggestion about a possible explanation for symptoms because they read about it on the internet that turned out to be a correct or at least reasonable guess. Please educate yourselves about yourselves.

Some good websites are the CDC website and AAFP.org (the American Academy of Family Practice). And if your doctor is offended that you're trying to be educated, get a different doctor.

Source: I'm a doctor"