Wellness

[Big Sister]

I hate it when the dr. says, "if there is a problem we will call you."

No, not good enough.  How do I know that you may have forgotten to call or even look at the lab reports.  I NEED FEEDBACK!  If I don't hear from the dr. I will call them.

[SilleeMee]

I have frequent visits to my dermatologist who specializes in wound care and treating my scleroderma. I have to go about every six months to get debrided and lasered. My skin has thick spots and corn-like areas on my hands and feet. If I don't go then I can't walk or use my hands without a lot of pain. The docs at the clinic where I go make it seem like it's no big deal and it's a quick in and out kind of thing. I absolutely dread it every time I go. The docs seem like they have no feelings for their patients. Only one of the docs ever calls me by my name.

[Trinity11]

---

@SilleeMee wrote:

I have frequent visits to my dermatologist who specializes in wound care and treating my scleroderma. I have to go about every six months to get debrided and lasered. My skin has thick spots and corn-like areas on my hands and feet. If I don't go then I can't walk or use my hands without a lot of pain. The docs at the clinic where I go make it seem like it's no big deal and it's a quick in and out kind of thing. I absolutely dread it every time I go. The docs seem like they have no feelings for their patients. Only one of the docs ever calls me by my name.

---

((((((((((((((((((((((((((( @SilleeMee ))))))))))))))))))))))))

[Sunshine Kate]

---

@LilacTree wrote:

After two months of waiting for this appointment and dreading it, once the dermatologist (a young lady) came into the room, it lasted for about 15 minutes.  She was not very friendly, but not unfriendly . . . just extremely professional and quick.  She observed my body in less than a minute. 

I have many benign keratoses, but except for the one on my temple, she did not remove them (freezing).  She excised two small moles/skin tags on my neck.  And that was it.  She said if I don't hear anything that means they are benign and she didn't expect they would be anything else.  She shook my hand and said "have a nice day," and left.  It's not as though there were many people in the waiting room, there was one.

Even my daughter who was in the waiting room was surprised.  She assumed I had to make another appointment for whatever procedures had to be done.  When I told her everything was already done, she just said "wow." 

Not that I'm not happy that these growths I have worried about are unimportant, but I was taken aback by the speed with which it was all done and all while I was just sitting in a chair.

This is a highly respected practice with six dermatologists.

Have any of you had this experience?  Do you think I should get a second opinion?

---

@LilacTree, this sounds like the same experience I had with my new dermatologist, but it was a male doctor.

I went to a new primary care doctor also and he was very quick.  I guess doctors are trying to get in as many patients as possible throughout the day.  Talking much is not in their care plan.   

[VaBelle35]

I don't think it's the speed of the appointment that the OP is concerned about but the confidence that the doctor heard her concerns and really did a thorough exam.

If you don't leave feeling confident in the doctor or satisfied with your service, you should choose another doctor.

Not every doctor is a good fit.  It's not a reflection on the doctor's training or abilities, it's just their personal style doesn't match yours.  Or perhaps their energy doesn't match yours.  It happens.

For example, my gyn is aggressive.  She is of the belief that it's better to cut if off or cut it out if it lowers your risk factors.   If I let her, she'd remove the lower half of my body because it would make her feel better.  (And that's a direct quote about how she would "feel better" if I let her cut me up) LOL  

I'm assertive enough to hold my ground, so her aggressiveness doesn't bother me.  Personally, I prefer an aggressive or doctor of action vs the "wait and see" type.

[ID2]

All of my derm visits are 15 minutes or under. I always get a full body check and they address my concerns and we're done. I don't understand why the OP being upset because she had a good visit?? If the OP had more questions or was concerned about something then SPEAK UP! 

[AuntG]

Considering her specialty is dermatology, she didn't spend much time with you.  Even during a typical physical, the doctor spends more time on checking the skin.  Maybe she needed to get to her phone and check her texts - that's all they do in our office. 

[winamac1]

I think she should have spent more than 15 minutes on the first visit, but they usually don't.  

I call on dermatologists for my job. They schedule patients every 15 minutes.  A new patient should get 30 minutes.   Most of these Dr.'s are on productivity esepcially if they are part of a group practice.  They see more patients, and they get bigger financial incentives.  This is factual.  It's almost like they are sales people.

Dr.'s in private practice used to give patients a lot of time as they didn't have to account for their time to the hospital or group practice.  Now, they are trying to pay such high overhead and all the workers they have to hire to keep up with insurance claims. They are now spending less and less time with their patients.   The electronic medical records and online charting they now have to do frustrates them as well--especially the older Dr.'s. 

I waitied an hour and 25 minutes for a derm I was going to see (as a new patient) for my eczema last January.  He spent about 7 minutes with me.  I never went back.  I won't wait that long ever again.  

[esmeraldagooch]

I called and made a new patient appointment when I moved to CA.  I told them on the phone I wanted a full body scan and to remove a thing on my face I was worried about.

The doctor did the full body scan which took 5-10 minutes then returned after numbing my face and removed the thing he couldn't identify for biopsy.   I am a melanoma survivor and they treat us differently than the general population.

I never would accept a we will call you if something is wrong.  If you fell though the cracks and it was cancer, you would regret it.

[goldensrbest]

@LilacTree,If you feel that you need to see another doctor, i would do so.