The problem is that doctors tend to lose empathy, well not just doctors, most professionals.

Your second point is spot on though. A doctor that suffered the disease or has seen it first hand will approach it differently.

It is 100% irrelevant that a doctor “experience” a disease. They should have training / exposure to it though.

I constantly hear non-medical people talk about how “only female doctors understand because they’re women”. What crap.

The very same people when facing cancer magically don’t require a doctor who has had cancer. Suddenly they just want the most qualified.

The problem lies much more in over-specialization, rapid patient turn-around, patient demand that treatments be easy, pills, and yes, training in how patients (fe|male) communicate and feel pain, illness, etc