Less is more. I think

I visited my physician today for a minor complaint. It's probably nothing serious, but then again there's a small chance it could be something bad. My doc is an older internist, Harvard affiliated. He keeps up with the literature and knows what he's doing. He's also pretty modern --using secure messaging for example.Unlike many of his colleagues, he's pretty conservative in ordering up tests and meds. This isn't a guy who gives out antibiotics to people who come in for a cold.In my case he was at pains to tell me it was probably benign and might resolve on its own. There's no pill for it, he said. He could refer me to a specialist but the specialist would just tell me the same thing --but would have more credentials. I hadn't asked for a pill or a referral (and wasn't going to), so this seemed to be a pre-emptive move.I'm generally fine with this approach. It's the kind of thing they do in Canada and Europe I'm told, and why their costs are lower.On the other hand, when I spoke to a close friend who's an internist  and told him my situation he was a little surprised I wasn't referred to a specialist or sent for an advanced test.I'm not sure how I feel about it myself. Although I'm generally a believer in "what you don't know can't hurt you" --or more accurately, "what you find out if you look might hurt you" I'm thinking of asking for that referral anyway.