Your Doctor Will Interrupt You In 23 Seconds | Penny Parkes

You have 23 seconds before your doctor interrupts you — what do you say? If you’ve ever felt dismissed or ignored, this will change how 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 break down how to communicate with your doctor so you’re taken seriously and get the care you need.

If you’ve ever felt unsure how to explain your symptoms, this conversation gives you the exact tools to advocate for yourself in a medical system that often doesn’t listen.

Penny shares what she learned after decades as a patient navigating complex conditions and near-death experiences — and how you can avoid the same mistakes.In this episode:

- Why doctors interrupt after 23 seconds

- How to explain symptoms clearly

- Why patients aren’t taken seriously

- Medical misogyny in healthcare

- How to prepare for a doctor’s appointment

- What to say when you’re not being heard

- How to advocate for yourself effectively

- The emotional impact of illness

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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: https://www.tiktok.com/@how2talktoyourdoctor

IG: https://www.instagram.com/how2talktoyourdoctor/

BUY the book - https://amzn.to/4tPfU1r

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Follow host Maria Hvorostovsky:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/anatomyofaleader/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mariahvorostovsky/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariahvorostovsky/

Website: https://www.anatomyofaleader.com/

Artwork and video by https://www.londonbeautyphotographer.com/