What do you look for in a family doctor?


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Getting major headache over trying to find a new family doctor. Not only is it a pain trying to find someone in our network but then I have to sift through their overall ratings and reviews. It's exhausting! I narrowed it down to three but two of them apparently, while knowledgeable, do not have good bedside manners. That's what the reviews said. So now I'm left with one doctor, she has good reviews but it's not much of a selection when you're only picking from three to begin with. I'm going to call in tomorrow anyway and see about setting up an appointment.

What things do you look for in a family doctor? Do beside manners matter, as long as he or she is competent? I've been a patient to a couple doctors that aren't the kindest but they're good doctors, are well informed, even if they don't leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling. That said, I want someone that will be gentle with my daughter and at least try to have some degree of rapport with her - children are frightened as it is when they go into doctor's offices.

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I have one basic criteria: Must be certified Holistic Doctor in addition to his/her MD. That whittles down all the doctors in my town to ONE practice... so I'm done looking.

A few years ago, just before I was pregnant, our doctor was and DH was not crazy about all the holistic talk.

I hate having to go through the motions of finding a new doctor. But since we moved, not willing to drive an hour to our last doc. Ugh.

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I really don't care if my Dr. has a warm-fuzzy bedside manner or not. I want him/her to be well informed and up to date on all medical knowledge.

Also if said Dr is a DO. (Osteopathic ), then that is all the better. Living in a really small town, that is almost impossible to find. There is one in the next town, but he is not contracted with my insurance carrier.

The Dr. I have now is not a DO, but didn't bat an eye or frown or even sniff loudly when I told him that I go to a Chiropractor 20 times a year, that I prefer to go the natural foods, herbs, etc. rather than the Rx drugs, drugs, drugs way. He researches the alternatives with me.

The added bonus is he is a member of the church, thus ending the repetitious I do not smoke, drink booze, drink coffee/tea, take recreational drugs, have wanton sex with multiple partners, etc., etc. every time I visit the office.

My Dr. prefers NOT to be accredited with a hospital- so when I went in with my acute pancreatitus, the Dr. that attended me was the Hospitalist. My Dr. came to see me, twice, with his wife (who is also his nurse) as a friend and as my PCP. He talked with the Hospitalist regarding my care. The first visit was the first afternoon - just had another syringe of pain med so was loopy and floating.

The next visit was day three of my five day stay. I was more alert and he was concerned that my hips and thighs were hurting more than my pancreas. Laying in bed and not moving around hurts my hips. Plus I am used to a king size bed and not the hospital twin (which I swear is smaller than a conventional twin.)

Anyway, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, bedside manner is the least important. As for being a good Dr. with children, ask the parents out in the waiting room.

I don't want to wait forever in the waiting room - if the Dr. overbooks then I won't book with him. I also want to be tended to by happy, polite, courteous and skilled nursing staff. Fortunately my Dr doesn't overbook. There is seldom more than one person in the waiting room other than myself.

I am comfortable with telling the receptionist when I do or do not need to talk to the Dr. If my visit is just for a fasting blood work-up, there is no need to see Doctor. I go first thing in the am, give the two vials of blood and am on my way home in 25 minutes.

Three days later the office will call with the results. Occasionally the call is to come in the next morning to talk with Doctor. This last blood work up, his nurse/wife called and asked me if I was sitting down. Of course I am sitting down, the phone is on my home desk. She said - Well stand up and do the Happy Dance. Your numbers are HALF of what they were 3 months ago. I said: All of my numbers? She said: Yes, A1C's. Triglycerides and the bad cholesterols. Oh, wait the good cholesterol is better.

I could hear the receptionist in the back ground saying: I'm Happy Dancing for you - Iggy.

Got to love small towns!!!

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warm and fuzzy bedside manner doesn't impress me one whit.

Knowledge and respect do.

When my husband was dying, we had the blessing of having the rare combination of a doctor (the surgeon who amputated his leg, as well as attending to other issues) with incredible knowledge and skils, along with a truly compassionate bedside manner. We were even told by one of the staff present that he wept as he performed the amputation. He had tried so hard to save the leg, but at that point, it was a choice between amputation or death. He also just plain liked my husband a lot, and was often able to lift his spirits when his ordeal overwhelmed him.

Then there was the primary care doc, who was an idiot, along with being...well....I can't use that word here. :o He made serious medical errors and then was nasty, to boot.

Give me a doc with skill any day.

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I made an appointment for next week. I've decided to go with the doctor with the better reputation. So hopefully, she'll prove to be competent and compassionate. I know that can be a tall order, especially, in the medical field.

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I keep observing this thread, hoping I will come up with some intelligent reason for choosing a doctor.

I can't think of anything other than the opinions of people I know.

I don't do too much with doctors other than the necessities. Though I am building a great raport with my baby's n.p. She is awesome.

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I keep observing this thread, hoping I will come up with some intelligent reason for choosing a doctor.

I can't think of anything other than the opinions of people I know.

I don't do too much with doctors other than the necessities. Though I am building a great raport with my baby's n.p. She is awesome.

I haven't seen a doctor since I was last pregnant, oh and my annual checkup, but otherwise I don't go just to go. My daughter needs a new paediatrician but we're doing the family doc this route.

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When I was in Cache Valley, I saw a family practicioner a few times before I learned I was pregnant. She said she no longer delivered babies after having too many of her own, but gave me a good recommendation. She was my baby's doctor before we moved. Sometimes I felt really weird just seeing a family doctor instead of getting a pediatrician, but, you know, I trusted her and she seemed to know what she was talking about.

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A sense of humor.

I usually get docs I already like to recommend their friends. Birds of a feather, and all that. Even when moving out of state, I always hit up all my favorite people for their favorite people. As doctors often attend school (& residency, intern, etc.) in various locations... As do their friends... I can almost always get a recommend of someone nearish where I'm going (or am).

A few months ago I picked up a case (recurrent) of pneumonia in Boston.

So I called my son's pulmonologiat, who gave me a recommend of someone he knew in Cambridge. Who, in turn, gave me a rec for someone in Boston.

When I'm having to cold call, though, I usually ring up hospital administration, and offer to stop by with a case of donuts to trade for a short list of the best doctors in town. "Great doc, even better sense of humor" is usually a very short list. Nursing units (like surgical preadmit, and others) are another great resource. I've done both. Usually depends on the attitude of the person who picks up the phone. I've tried just stopping by with a box of pastries, but that tends to not work quite as well. I think it puts people too much on the spot. Giving an hour's leeway tends to go over best. Enough time to get some others in on it, not too much time to start feeling guilty. Similarly, quiz anesthesiologist about who are the best surgeons. But always always always bring donuts.

Chocolate (& custard filling) makes the world go round.

Q

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In Nova Scotia only 1 requirement ...... breathing!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously we have a doctor shortage many can't get a family doctor. When we moved 1 1/2 hours away from our family doctor we were going to still keep him but got lucky. We moved back to the area my wife was from and because she was a former patient as a child we were able to get back with her local doctor.

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