Did you ever leave a doctor ....

[Anonymous]

OP, yes, I agree that is annoying.

What I do is, first I try to go through scheduling.

If that does not work, I email the doctor and ask to be fit in. Or I try to talk to the triage nurse and explain why I want to see that particular doctor.

I'm in an annoying situation with a dermatologist who was good the first couple visits but now they just try to farm me out to the NP. They do this by saying the derm is not available for months. Derm care is not a huge issue for me so it's not a big deal but it is annoying so I know what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

I have left many a practice in the last few years because of their office staff and practices of not calling back in a timely manner. Rescheduling appointments constantly. Wait times were insane, etc.. Male Urologists told me I had a bladder infection over and over again when it was not. Male ortho who told me not to exercise like a "woman" ugh.

I am the consumer.

Now all of my doctors are fantastic so are their staff.

I am done with Washington Top Drs List. Most are old tired antiquated techniques.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know what you're looking for, but I do know you're not going to find it. And your next provider is going to assume you're doctor shopping.

What's wrong with that?

Bouncing from doctor to doctor until one tells you what you want to hear?

Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I recently found a concierge doctor because I couldn't get in to see my VCH primary care doctor. When I had an issue, I had to see the NP, who messed up. When I called to schedule my annual physical, which I do need because I have some conditions I take meds for that they don't have me come in during the year for (they just refill my meds), the earliest option was 6 months out. So anytime I was sick or had an issue, I just went to urgent care. Add to all of that they I always felt very rushed by doctor when I did see her, and it wasn't too hard of a decision to leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have left many a practice in the last few years because of their office staff and practices of not calling back in a timely manner. Rescheduling appointments constantly. Wait times were insane, etc.. Male Urologists told me I had a bladder infection over and over again when it was not. Male ortho who told me not to exercise like a "woman" ugh.

I am the consumer.

Now all of my doctors are fantastic so are their staff.

I am done with Washington Top Drs List. Most are old tired antiquated techniques.

That Top Docs list is just political. I have seen a specialist who is on that list, and has been since I first found them almost 20 years ago. They are great, but they are close to retirement age and seem stuck in a mindset that isn't really current. They also seem way too susceptible to whatever the drug rep du jour is selling them. They know everyone, and everyone knows and likes them (super personable and attractive) and they aren't a disaster -- that is why they are on that list.

Also, I'm sorry you have encountered so much misogyny. I have too (perhaps most of us have) -- the worst example was the ER doc who wanted to send me home to take some Tums for my "tummy ache" (his phrase, not mine). I insisted on a scan (which he didn't want to give me) and sure enough -- ruptured appendix; they had to take me right to surgery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know what you're looking for, but I do know you're not going to find it. And your next provider is going to assume you're doctor shopping.

What's wrong with that?

Bouncing from doctor to doctor until one tells you what you want to hear?

Yikes.

I don't think this about finding a doctor who says what a patient wants. It's finding one consistent available doctor. Not itinerant fill ins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not because you didn't like the doctor, but because of the Dr's scheduling, and because of the way the practice operates? I feel like I may be expecting too much with the current shortage of Drs- and this doctor is a good doctor. If I switch practices, who is to say this won't be the same elsewhere?

So, really happy with Dr, but when there's a serious problem, which I have, there's really little way to be in touch and I'm seeing numerous (and I mean numerous) stand ins all with conflicting advice. They know I am not their patient or will be, probably so I'm being squeezed in likely as a favor to original doctor.
If you have a situation that is an emergency, how do you contact your specialty practice doctor, or you possibly do not and just deal with it?

They may be a good practitioner, but they are not a good provider. A provider who overbooks and/or farms out your care to their (rotating stable of) NPs/PAs is not providing good continuity of care. It's also really challenging to find a consistent doctor without paying for the "privilege" these days.

Air quotes because it shouldn't be a privilege, it should be the way of things. It isn't because insurance fatcats and nonsensical education policies. Welcome to what disabled folx have known for a long time.

No doctors operate the way you describe on purpose, as their preference. None. They practice that way because they aren’t in control of their patient panel or their schedule.

Or maybe they set their own hours themselves too low for the patient load. That is a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that different providers are going to have different advice, especially if they don’t know you very well since you aren’t their patient. And the conflicting advice is stressful and the pieces of advice don’t work well together. The ideal is to be able to see your own doctor the majority of the time, for consistency. You might need a doctor who controls her own patient panel size because if there are too many patients, she’s not going to be able to squeeze very many in for urgent visits. So- concierge; or private practice not run by a giant health care system.

Yes. This is probably it.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I have been seeing a doctor for over a decade who is a sub specialist at MedStar. I like the doc a lot, and she helped me when others could not. Now that my condition is more stable and there are more docs with this specialty available, I’m thinking of leaving. Scheduling—even 10-12 weeks ahead—is a nightmare, the admin are snippy and impossible to reach, the only office location is now 45 minutes from my home, and every year they have a new fellow managing my care (and this complicates scheduling even more).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. I have been seeing a doctor for over a decade who is a sub specialist at MedStar. I like the doc a lot, and she helped me when others could not. Now that my condition is more stable and there are more docs with this specialty available, I’m thinking of leaving. Scheduling—even 10-12 weeks ahead—is a nightmare, the admin are snippy and impossible to reach, the only office location is now 45 minutes from my home, and every year they have a new fellow managing my care (and this complicates scheduling even more).

Yes, it is hard to leave a doctor who we've seen for years, someone trusted, and to start over. But I hear the same things in other offices, particularly around support personnel, receptionists, scheduling, so I wonder if would really help. Conundrum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have left many a practice in the last few years because of their office staff and practices of not calling back in a timely manner. Rescheduling appointments constantly. Wait times were insane, etc.. Male Urologists told me I had a bladder infection over and over again when it was not. Male ortho who told me not to exercise like a "woman" ugh.

I am the consumer.

Now all of my doctors are fantastic so are their staff.

I am done with Washington Top Drs List. Most are old tired antiquated techniques.

That Top Docs list is just political. I have seen a specialist who is on that list, and has been since I first found them almost 20 years ago. They are great, but they are close to retirement age and seem stuck in a mindset that isn't really current. They also seem way too susceptible to whatever the drug rep du jour is selling them. They know everyone, and everyone knows and likes them (super personable and attractive) and they aren't a disaster -- that is why they are on that list.

Also, I'm sorry you have encountered so much misogyny. I have too (perhaps most of us have) -- the worst example was the ER doc who wanted to send me home to take some Tums for my "tummy ache" (his phrase, not mine). I insisted on a scan (which he didn't want to give me) and sure enough -- ruptured appendix; they had to take me right to surgery.

Omg. I wonder how they walked that back after seeing that.

[Anonymous]

I have done this. I could never get in to see my actual doctor and would constantly be offered appointments with NPs. I finally switched to another doctor who is young and male (as opposed to 50s and female). No more problems getting an appointment.