re: General question about second opinions

Depends on the specialty. Just as a point of reference, orthopedic physicians in regards to an injury or arthritis will want xrays or mri after an initial exam to come up with a treatment plan. If you already have one opinion then you have already paid for that MRI/xray so if you want to pay for a second mri and set of films just to see if he agrees or disagrees with the initial physician, then go ahead and spend that money. In other words, don’t bullshite the physician. Tell them up front. They are all knowledgeable of each other’s work and they know who does and who doesn’t provide quality patient care.