Blog  /  Insights

Best Excuse for Doctors’ Bad Handwriting

Doctors bad handwriting

It is quite an old stereotype that doctors have terrible handwriting. We’ve all heard the jokes about handwritten prescriptions that are completely illegible. We thought we’d have some fun with our doctors and ask them for their best excuses for why doctors have bad handwriting… check out some of our favorite humorous responses below!

“Because if I write neatly, pharmacists will think my prescription is a forgery.” – A Psychiatrist in the US

“If my handwriting is bad, really illegible, then if ever my record was subpoenaed by the courts, I could always claim, ‘That is exactly what I said!’” – A pediatrician in Canada

“Definitely to hide my unbelievably poor spelling!! The less I know about a topic, the worse my writing – oh the insecurities! I have to admit – I take my sweet time on prescriptions though — maybe it’s the anesthetist in me – – medication errors scare the bejeebers out of me!” – An anesthesiologist in Canada

“When I was in primary school my teacher told me my writing was so bad I would have to grow up to be a doctor. My fate was sealed.” – An occupational medicine doctor in Australia

“Because if our handwriting was good, doctors would be truly perfect humans! :)” – A general practitioner in Canada

Are you a physician? Login or join Sermo to share your favorite excuse for having bad handwriting!