Doctors... do you prefer that they be social or to the point?

dseag2

dseag2

Dallas, TX
Location
Dallas, TX
The reason I posted this is because I used to go to a wonderful, caring doctor who knew me well. It was a father/daughter practice, and she had a great bedside manner. I traveled a lot in my career. She always asked me where I was going and sometimes prescribed antibiotics if I was going somewhere that I might need them. We talked about our pets.

However, I was working at the time and she was typically 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours late in seeing me. If I had an appointment at 1pm, she would see me at 2:30pm. Most of her patients were elderly and retired and they really enjoyed the social time. I could hear her laughing with her patients in the other room long after the appointment was over. Also, her records seemed to always be kept in paper files rather than online.

One day, I walked out of her office. I told her assistant that it was unacceptable to keep someone waiting for so long. The doctor actually came in to apologize, but I told her I had a tight schedule and simply couldn't be held up 1 1/2 hours every visit. I miss her, but in my view my time is as important as hers.

I am now with a new doctor. He is certainly personable and spends a bit of time discussing health, etc. but he is always punctual. If I have a 1pm appointment, he sees me at 1pm. I miss the personal interaction, but I do feel that respect for my time is an important component of any doctor visit.

Anyone else? What are your experience?
 

I can relate. My former doctor was willing to talk and that easily meant an hour wait. Good thing I liked reading. With this doctor, I’d barely get started on my book. He’s often early. A little more discussion would be nice.
 
I value punctuality, directness, and empathy towards my feelings and beliefs.

The best PCP I've had in recent years was a bumbling old man with a thick Irish accent. IMO he was a good, not great doctor. He understood and agreed with my feelings about watchful waiting, palliative care, and accepting what mother nature has in store for me.
 
My family doctor is punctual and to the point but once, when he was off sick I saw a locum, he not only told me my doctor had suffered a heart attack, which I thought was very unprofessional, but had a jocular, flippant attitude, as a doctor he made a good comedian, and I would not choose to see him again
 
Last edited:
dseag2 said:
I miss the personal interaction, but I do feel that respect for my time is an important component of any doctor visit.
Click to expand...
I used to see a doctor that scheduled an entire hour for each appointment. So there was plenty of time for talking without causing the next patient to wait. I guess that is what I would like the best.
Once at the oncology gynecologist I was already waiting for the exam and the doctor got called away to talk to a patient and he talked to her for a whole hour. I was so uncomfortable sitting half naked on the exam table all that time, ugh. But, the nurse explained it was a very young woman patient and her family that had a lot of questions for him.
 
I prefer them to be on time or close to it unless they have an emergency which happened once over the years of seeing doctors. I feel my time matters, too.

The last doctor visit I had I was kept waiting for about forty five minutes. I felt uncomfortable with that. I got home too late imo.
 
Aunt Bea said:
I value punctuality, directness, and empathy towards my feelings and beliefs.

The best PCP I've had in recent years was a bumbling old man with a thick Irish accent. IMO he was a good, not great doctor. He understood and agreed with my feelings about watchful waiting, palliative care, and accepting what mother nature has in store for me.
Click to expand...
Sounds like I would like that doc, too. I also believe in watchful waiting, palliative care, and acceptance. At my age, I do not intend to spend the majority of my time in doctors' offices, labs and so on investigating every little anomaly, especially if there is no real point in doing so.

For instance, my sister and I both I have an anomaly in the size or shape or something of our red blood cells. It has been there all our lives. I had a young doc several years ago that seemed to feel it was important that we had to do about a zillion tests to see why that anomaly was there. Nope, not interested. He got all fussy and gave me a lecture about uncooperative patients and the superior knowledge of doctors. I never went back to see that guy again. I don't need all that in my life.
 
Last edited:
My P.C Dr. is usually 1 hr late. So when they schedule a 1 pm visit I arrive around 1:45 & they take me right back & I still have to wait about 10 minutes for him. He's good at sitting there explaining everything in your Blood tests or other tests. Then he asks if I have any questions? So I tell him what concerns me. He will explain really well all my concerns.

He tells me the Clinic wants the scheduling people to "double book" patents. He said I will NOT do that as each patent needs so much time some not as much & others need a lot more.
 
It’s rare in my experience that a doc will actually see you on time, and appointments can run twenty minutes to an hour and a half late. Beyond that delay, I’ve been asked if I wanted to reschedule. Such delays require a person still working to take half a day off, which seldom sits well with an employer. I’ve had smaller but similar delays at the dentist and even the vet. Once while at the vet’s to have a beloved animal euthanized, my emotional state was not helped by seeing the vet hold an extended social conversation in the parking lot as I waited…
 
I've been seeing my nurse practitioner for many years. We've got to know each other well, she understands that I do all I can to keep myself healthy and that I don't like to drive 60 miles into the city for frivolous test. She keeps a close eye on my meds, blood work and xrays that are done at the branch clinic where she is located. I think the more we know each other the better for my health.
 
I don't expect my doctor to give one darn about me. However, when I'm in the office I do expect them to listen, be civil and help me. I remember a doctor I had years ago, who retired told me "I know how hard you work." That meant a lot to me.

We have a doctor that comes into my work place that I can't stand and most don't care for him either. The doctor who did my carpal tunnel surgery was so nice. I didn't have any sedation, only local numbing so we were talking during the procedure. He told me he picked vegetables and built pallets when he was young. I said 'you must be from the valley' and he told me where he was from. Clearly this guy didn't come from a rich background and understood hard work. I think this matters. Another doctor I deal with at work was an army MD. He's as nice as can be.
 
I find most Docs schedule appointments 10 minutes apart. It's impossible to keep that tight control over seeing patients, who have complicated problems, etc. How in the hell are you supposed to see/greet someone, find out what's wrong, diagnose the problem, suppsedly talk over ALL the pros and cons, prescribe a medication, and then document all this in the chart IN 10 MINUTES!
I don't care how 'nice' the Doc is. Just as long as I get treated in a medically proper manner, and on time ,
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top