Posted by JadeKelly on November 7, 2008, at 0:48:12
In reply to moving to a new town- what to ask?, posted by thinkingitover on November 6, 2008, at 21:14:16
Hi thinking it over,
> So, with all my whining, I'm not sure what to look for in a new doctor. How do I ask the right questions? How do I act as my own advocate? Am I being too picky?Gosh no.
Your "whining" sounds right on track to me. Most I've met are apathetic. I see mine as a presciption pad and someone who probably knows a lot about contraindication. He doesn't look at my chart til I come in, wants to give meds we've already tried, etc, etc. I do the research, tell him what I want, he writes it up, and off I go. I don't trust his judgment anymore. Its a joke. But thats me!
So, I'll be looking too, after 15 years!
What I'm going to do is hit the book store and find out exactly what we SHOULD be expecting, what questions to ask, what may be a bad sign, those things. I believe there are reputable sites on line that rate Hospitals, and probably Doctors in various fields. If you have a top notch hospital in your new area, that may be a way to go. Sometimes they have sattelite locations that are offices, easier to get to, etc.
I'm going to pay close attention to specialty, also. If you want a good therapist, maybe find him/her first, then get a recommendation.
Finally, and this may sound a little lame, the larger city magazines will have listings as peer ratings. How reliable these are, I don't know. If you run across a name several times across the board as excellent, no-brainer.
I don't know about you, but I'm not settling this time. Just MHO of course. I'm sure there are plenty of fine, effective, psychiatrists out there. I just haven't met one. OK, I'M done whining.
Good luck, it probably seems daunting but think how much better you'll feel with someone who cares. And pays attention.
Jade
poster:JadeKelly
thread:861219
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081106/msgs/861250.html