I cannot believe the number of doctors that I visited when I first got GERD, and all my questions were shot down while they prescribed PPI upon PPI. It only made my condition worse by the year.
Finally, I decided enough is enough, and did my own research, happened upon naturopathic materials, and experimented in a logical fashion (eliminating one trigger at a time, trying a new natural cure at a time) till I chanced upon probiotics - specifically Yakult which works best for me, and have been living a normal life since then.
The kicker is that if I had taken this approach from the start, my stomach and quality of life would have been much better from the start.
Sure, it's anecdotal, but it's a counter-example to your assertion which, frankly, smacks of derision for the thinking patient. You have to remember that doctors, like those in any other profession, come in a spectrum of qualifications, capabilities, and empathy.