How to find a new Doctor...
 

Since I have had mine for over 25+ and it is definitely time to change, what are some good points as far as finding a good PCP goes. Need all of the wisdom I can get. Personal opinions are very welcomed.

She should have warm hands...

Wow, that is great advice there.:eek:

;)

Warm hands are underrated...

I have had a lady Doc for the past 10 years, she beats the hell out of most of the male Dr's I have had. I think women pay more attention to what you have to say about your ailments than male Dr's. perhaps a bit more compassionate. Can't say as to whether she has warm hands or not though. Good luck finding one you like.

I'd say that's hit or miss for most male and female primary care doctors - especially with the pressure to see large numbers of patients each day.

My suggestion would be to make a list of doctors who trained at reputable residencies and completed their training 3-7 years ago, contact the offices and see who is accepting new patients. Of those, see how long of a wait there is to get in to see him/her, and ask how many patients are typically seen in a day.

Go with the one that feels like a good match - if the first appointment is disappointing, move on down the list.

A hot female with warm hands and nice curves is always a plus in my book, but there are plenty of women around to ogle so it's not a priority when my health is on the line. ;)

Some good advice given here.

Selecting a doctor that meets your needs is hit or miss and quite subjective.

Some of the best I've had were not taking new patients and I needed a good word put in.

Others, were just luck of the draw and they treated me well.

Oh, board certified might be important.

Good luck with your search.

The Frau and I went with a concierge service doc that has similar belief system on medical care. It gets away from the puppy mill approach.....but it's not inexpensive. We took a facility tour and did an interview with the doc (which took about 3 hours) before discussing a decision to sign up. This isn't very common and time will tell if it was a proper choice, but I'm feelin pretty confident thus far.

... and small/thin fingers ...

:eek:

Not like the 3/7 PA in the 80s who wore his Rolex on his index finger! :eek:

I know ya'll are men but every comment so far has been small, warm hands to do a yearly exam. What about the rest of the time? Yeah, who cares.;)

I have had a female doc for over 20 years, civilian provider at a military TOC. I moved to follow her when she opened the new one. 1. She knows my body, inside and out. Every new thing is an addition not a totally new workup. 2. I like her crew, all nice people who also know me.

Starting new you need to find someone you can be totally honest with, how much you really, drink, smoke or dip. She knows my home life, HX and more and I work with her as a peer, she respects my opinions, ideas. I personally think that is best for me because I like to be involved , not just sit and wait for RX and take as directed.

I hope you got a hug afterwards ... or at least a loli-pop at the minimum? ;)

..and how did he perform that exam with a hand on each shoulder? :p

I had a few major issues, triple by pass, L-femoral artery replaced, a stroke, each time I sought care from the #1 rated specialist in my AO PHL/NYC. Access was via reference, it made all the difference in the world. Regardless of warm hands and medical certificate from the bottom of the class Topago Med School, they still call you "Doctor". imoo, seek the best care from Peer rated specialist in the USA, usually found at the Top Medical school/hospitals. Cornell, HUPenn, John Hopkins, etc

Both University Hospitals (affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, my alma mater), and Cleveland Clinic (where I performed my residency) are in his AO. Both have excellent specialists. Finding superior generalists/primary care providers can be more challenging.