I think this is similar in other fields, and appears to be related to your self-esteem. Some junior (and sometimes even senior) developers may have hard time accepting improvements on their design and code. If you are identified with your code, you may be unwilling to listen to suggestions from others. If you are confident, you will happily accept and consider suggestions from others and are able to admit that anything can be improved, and others can give you valuable insight.
Similarly, it appears that some doctors are willing to accept that they have limited amount of time to learn about specific topics, and that a research-oriented and intelligent patient very interested in few topics can easily know more about it. In such a case a conducive mutual learning experience may happen.
One doctor told me that what he is offering is statistical advice, because some diseases may be very rare and so it makes sense to rule out more common diseases first.
Other doctors may become defensive, if they have the idea that the doctor has the authority and patients should just accept that.
Similarly, it appears that some doctors are willing to accept that they have limited amount of time to learn about specific topics, and that a research-oriented and intelligent patient very interested in few topics can easily know more about it. In such a case a conducive mutual learning experience may happen.
One doctor told me that what he is offering is statistical advice, because some diseases may be very rare and so it makes sense to rule out more common diseases first.
Other doctors may become defensive, if they have the idea that the doctor has the authority and patients should just accept that.