I used to get reprimanded for telling patients to get a second opinion.  Now I don't get the reprimands, though I still make the suggestions.  The change is in how I word it.  Instead of saying "You should [ absolutely ] get a second opinion,"  I tell mom the following:  "It is part of my job to make sure you get complete and appropriate information.  It is your right as a patient to ask questions of me and of the doctor. If you feel you are getting contradictory messages, or feel it is otherwise in your best interest, it is also your right to
ask for clarifications, or/and for information from other health care providers in this field.

Even my boss has congratulated me on the skill with which I crafted that statement, though she can't tell me to drop it from my discussions with my patients.  I am not suggesting by my statement that what a doctor (god) has said is false.

Sincerely, Chanita, San Francisco