Agreed. And contrary to what the OP said, it is entirely possible to educate oneself about a specific medical condition, given only some basic knowledge about

Agreed. And contrary to what the OP said, it is entirely possible to educate oneself about a specific medical condition, given only some basic knowledge about biology and biochemistry. There are plenty of resources out there. Coming up with possible alternative diagnoses for one's symptoms is a bit harder -- that's really what you're relying on the doctor's expertise for -- but even that can be done.