[codex]

Absolutely. Doctors are particularly egoistic and don't deal well with long-tail problems. But that doesn't make yours the best doctor; the best doctor wrote the original material. Willingness to research the answer just makes your doctor an effective doctor, because they ultimately deliver the correct answer.

[rcxdude]

No single doctor wrote the original material. The doctor who wrote the original material for one area may be completely useless outside his area and ineffective at looking them up.

[hnwh]

I agree... but the "best" doctor is also 5k miles away from me, and out of my immediately budget, since insurance doesn't cover it.. so.. I'll settle for "effective"

[abraininavat]

the best doctor wrote the original material

I agree with everything else in your comment, but that doesn't make sense. How do you arrive at that conclusion?

[codex]

I am, admittedly, handwaving here. "Best" is so subjective that's hard to define, so I define it as "the ones who move the field forward with original work." In other contexts it could mean something completely different.

[abraininavat]

I see. Well I'd differentiate between a researcher and a clinician. The best researcher may not be the doctor you want diagnosing and treating you.