My parents brought me up to respect authority.  Many from their generation did not question authority.  In particular, teachers, police officers and doctors were to be revered and never questioned.    Teaching your kids to respect authority is quite necessary.  We must also teach our children that while it is appropriate to respect authority they must also question what they sense, feel or know isn’t right, particularly with the advice from the doctor at your family medical practice.

Having been brought up to never question authority, I would simply go in for a consultation at the family medical practice and take advice from the doctor then spend large amounts of money on prescriptions only to follow along paths that were simply not the right ones.  So many times I found myself with nagging feelings of doubt over the advice given to me by the doctors I have consulted in my life’s journey. 

Most recently I suffered two small tears in a tendon in the rotator cuff of my left shoulder.  I didn’t have this diagnosis at the time but I knew something was seriously wrong as I couldn’t move all weekend and landed in the hospital where I was given morphine and demerol to manage the extreme pain.  I am left-handed and I was unable to function with my left arm.   X-rays were taken at the hospital and finally I went to the family medical practice office to consult my Doctor to determine a diagnosis.  This Doctor is fairly new.  When she entered the office she gave me a brief glance and hello then sat at her computer and pulled up my chart.  She spends most of the time entering data on the computer while you visit with her.  She never examined my shoulder (???) and when I was finished telling her the symptoms and how it happened she was quite prepared to hand me a prescription for Celebrex and send me on my way.  She wanted to give me a 3 month supply.  I guess its best not to have your patients come back to bother you when you are so busy.  I asked her about the x-rays from the hospital and she told me they were probably in the mail.  I told her when they had been taken and then she told me they were probably in a pile at the front desk.  She simply couldn’t be bothered to look and it appeared she really didn’t care.  Just before she was prepared to shuffle me out the door I asked her if I should be getting an MRI or consulting a specialist in case I had done some serious damage, after all I couldn’t lift my arm and I was experiencing a tremendous amount of pain!  She looked dumbstruck and said “oh, I guess I could try and get you an appointment”.  She told me it would be a long wait but that she would try and get me an appointment with a specialist.   As it stands, I paid for my own MRI as well as a private appointment with a specialist.  The specialist has recommended surgery and I’m on a long wait list.  If I had allowed it, this doctor would have prevented me from getting the proper treatment in a timely manner.  After this very frustrating experience I called my husband’s doctor and I was accepted as a patient.    

Maybe your doctor is not quite as apathetic as this one, however, you still have doubts that you are getting the best care.

• Are you outright unhappy with your doctor?
• Do you get the sense your doctor really doesn’t care? 
• Are you wondering if your doctor doesn’t take you seriously?
• Do you get the feeling you are being brushed off by your doctor? 
• Is your doctor reluctant to refer you to a specialist?
• Do you sense your doctor is giving you incorrect information?

Check out the ratemds website.  You can look up the doctor at your family medical practice by region or name.  Search for comments about your doctor that have been posted by other patients.  Maybe your gut instincts are right and others are experiencing the same doubts.  You can search for doctors in your area, rate your own doctor, review comments and post your own comments.  Maybe you are very happy with your doctor and would like to let others know.  You can post your rave reviews at this site and your caring doctor will get the credit that he or she deserves.

For me, surgery is not considered lightly.  There are only a few orthopedic surgeons in my area that perform the surgery required on my shoulder.  I found this site to be a very useful tool in learning more about these specialists and, in part, due to the comments on this site I am very comfortable with the orthopedic surgeon that will be repairing my shoulder.

In the area where I live it is very difficult to leave your doctor because all of the doctors have full practices and do not accept new patients.  The ratemds website generally states whether a doctor is accepting new patients.  If you are unhappy with your doctor then ask your family and friends about their doctor.  Are they happy?  If so, get the doctors name and put in a phone call.  Tell them a patient has referred you.  Get on their waiting list if necessary.  Ask your family member or friend to put in a good word for you with their doctor and the office staff.   Don’t hesitate to call regularly to let the doctor’s staff know that you are interested in becoming a patient.  You can also call your local hospital.  They should be able to provide you with a list of new doctors that are starting out and ready to build their practice.  Often new doctors are keen and want to provide good care to their patients. 

Keep trying until you find the right doctor.  Don’t be complacent and don’t give up until you find the right doctor.  You do not want an apathetic doctor looking after you if your life is in danger.

Have you been successful in finding a new doctor?  Do you have tips or suggestions for others in their search for a new doctor?  Share your comments with us.

Tags: Doctor, Family Medical Practice, orthopedic surgeon, specialist, surgery