Your Doctor Will Interrupt You In 23 Seconds | Penny Parkes

About this episode

This episode discusses how to effectively communicate with doctors to ensure patients are heard and receive proper care.

You have 23 seconds before your doctor interrupts you — what do you say? If you’ve ever felt dismissed, rushed, or unsure how to explain your symptoms, this episode will change the way you speak so you’re actually heard. In this episode of Anatomy of a Leader, Maria Hvorostovsky sits down with Penny Parkes, author of How to Talk So Your Doctor Will Listen, to explore how patients can communicate clearly, prepare for appointments, describe symptoms, ask better questions, and advocate for themselves in a medical system that often doesn’t listen. Penny shares what she learned after decades as a patient navigating complex conditions, medical trauma, near-death experiences, and the reality of medical misogyny — offering practical tools for anyone who wants to feel more confident, prepared, and taken seriously by their doctor. -- About Penny Parkes Penny Parkes is an author, health journalist, and long-term patient living with multiple rare and complex conditions. Her book How to Talk So Your Doctor Will Listen: Helping Your Doctor to Help You shares practical tools to help patients communicate effectively, advocate for themselves, and get better care. TikTok…

People in this episode

Host: Maria Hvorostovsky

Guest: Penny Parkes

Topics covered

• doctor-patient communication
• advocacy in healthcare
• medical interruptions
• patient empowerment
• healthcare challenges

Keywords

• doctor communication
• patient advocacy
• healthcare
• medical advice
• symptom explanation

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: How to Talk So Your Doctor Will Listen

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