Physician personality or skill - Page 2

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

mememe - Funny you should mention oral surgeon. I am ready to go to yours.

I thought I had a first rate oral surgeon. He did a great job on my two implants. THEN I broke a tooth. The break was North/South. I made an appointment with him.

Left work early and arrived for my appointment. Waited about an hour. FInally, I was ushered into room - not my oral surgeon. Unknown Doctor ordered x-rays. Nurse did x-rays but the tooth in question was cut off of the X-ray. Unknown Doctor comes in. Sees the tooth in question is cut off - upset - so has the nurse do a 360 degree Xray of my teeth. Unknown Doctor still upset says tooth can't be saved, will have to be pulled. He sticks needles around tooth, so he can pull tooth. Then he pulls my tooth. He did not wait for drugs to take effect. I told the Unknown Doctor that the drugs had not taken effect and he said something about how busy he was and he had lots of other patients. It wasn't my fault the X ray didn't include my entire tooth. And it took quite a bit of time to finally get the correct Xray.

So I asked when I paid for Unknown Doctors work, why did my Doctor not do the work. She mumbled something about him being sick or on a trip!?!?!?!?!? Huh? Guess Unknown Doctor was ****** about being called in - so he took it out on everyone. I am not pleased with the way I was treated. And do not plan on going back.

So I guess I want skill but personality comes into pay too.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

The fact is , sadly, that most lay people base their choice of a doctor on things like personality, how long they have to wait for an appointment or how long they have to wait in the office, If they are able to control him - in other words they doctor shop until they get one who does whatever they want - whether it is best for them or not.These are not how one should pick a doctor.For instance - when we moved to Fl. for the first time in my life I had to pick from total strangers to find a doctor.I asked my neighbor, who had lived here a long time, who she went to. She said she liked this doctor because he listens when she talks to him.I thought that sounded like a very good place to start. He's certainly not ideal or perfect, but his knowledge and skill seem good and he is very cognicent of the fact that we are on medicare and prefer if at all possible to use tier one drugs.He understands retirees can't afford to try out every newest & very expensive thing coming out on the market.

Abrowneyegirl · ‎03-15-2010

@drizzellla

Your story makes me sick and my mouth hurt just reading it!

My surgeon my not be warm and fuzzy, BUT he gives his PERSONAL cell phone number out to his patients. After a procedure you call his number directly if there is a problem. I asked about the weekend, he clearly explained call his cell anytime.

Of course I had a concern on Sunday morning, he explained what is was and occasionally it happens (rarely of course, but happened to me) and was willing to see me Sunday afternoon if was troubling or painful. Once I understood I decided It was fine and I declined to be seen. He called me back late afternoon Sunday to check in and confirm I was still okay and the problem was resolved!

He then had the nurse follow up again with me on Monday!

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

@Abrowneyegirlwrote:
@drizzellla
Your story makes me sick and my mouth hurt just reading it!

My surgeon my not be warm and fuzzy, BUT he gives his PERSONAL cell phone number out to his patients. After a procedure you call his number directly if there is a problem. I asked about the weekend, he clearly explained call his cell anytime.
Of course I had a concern on Sunday morning, he explained what is was and occasionally it happens (rarely of course, but happened to me) and was willing to see me Sunday afternoon if was troubling or painful. Once I understood I decided It was fine and I declined to be seen. He called me back late afternoon Sunday to check in and confirm I was still okay and the problem was resolved!
He then had the nurse follow up again with me on Monday!

That sounds exactly what the Doctor - who I made the appointment with - would have done. He always called me the evening after he did a procedure to see how things were going.

That is why I continued to go to him for years. I still have no idea if the Doctor I made the appointment with - just decided to take a trip or he was sick. But I don't want to take a chance again.

LilacTree · ‎03-25-2012

I am a tough patient, so I don't know how to answer this. I am never obnoxious, but I do question, question, question, and I am not likely to take the meds doctors want me to take. So with the exception of my gastro doc and, to some extent, my PCP, who both know me very well (gastro doc for over 30 years), I don't connect with doctors very well. I think it's mostly me. I have gone through at least six rheumatologists, and still don't have one who accepts that I will not take the biologics. At this point, it's too late for that anyway.

I realize it must be tough on doctors when they can't cure someone, as I do believe most of them try.

Coincidentally, I am seeing my gastro doc today, an opthalmologist on Monday, and my PCP on Wednesday, so I will be all doctored out this week. I love my gastro doc and he loves me, the eye doc I only see once a year or every two years . . . he may tell me it's time to do the cataract procedure soon. My PCP is way overbooked, but she is a reasonable doctor and this is a regular checkup. I hate her visits though because I've never waited less than an hour.

Maybe TMI for the question. I will say if I don't like a doc for any reason on the first visit I don't go back.

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986

Ketra · ‎02-16-2018

Skill is everything to me. Personality and bedside manner are nice, but not necessary .

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

There’s a difference between...

A physician with no bedside manner and

A physician who is incompetent.

Those two things should never be confused.

Not waiting for drugs to numb is a sign of an incompetent doctor.

On the other hand, I don’t want my doctor to be my best friend;

no need to have their cell phone #.

RetRN · ‎10-01-2013

I think it must be very difficult to deal with patients who are noncompliant. So many patients want all the answers but are not willing to follow the doctor's plan of care. Never understood why these people wasted the doctor's time. People who doctor shop tend to be difficult people to work with, they are looking to hear what they want to hear and not the truth.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@Abrowneyegirl,

Had to laugh at the comment/reason from your co-worker, but in reality, if one chooses a doctor for that reason?

If I do not have a good connection with a doctor, it has nothing to do with his personality, I can deal with someone's personality any ole time, but when it comes to my body and/or mind, not so much.

Skill is a prerequisite of any doctor I choose to see, unless I am in a situation where it is an emergency, and in essence, I have little choice. If a doctor listen to me seriously about my issues, that is a good start. If any doctor appears to me to pretty much let what I say pass through them, that will be my 1 and only visit with that particular doctor.

Bedside manner/personality/looks mean zip to me. My concerns about my condition, and they way we connect on making decisions are my main expectations from all my health care professionals, and I have many.

I like straight talk with no filters. Tell me the bad along with what I need to to recover and my real prognosis. To do otherwise, for me personally, would that doctor's mistake. No tip toe around the lilly's with me, straight and to the point is all I will except.

Have heard many patients say, I can't stand that doctor oe the way he talks "at me", not "with me". My suggestion to them is to the point, "get another doctor, period". I have met many survivors of life threatening illnesses and I can count one 1 hand the number that said "cute or personality" were mandatory.

hckynut(john)