What kind of Dr do you have?

[AuntieMe3]

Do you have a medical group? Private practice? Do you have an MD, DO(?), PA? Family practice? General Practice? Internal Medicine????

I have to choose a new Dr and I'm so confused.... We had Kaiser for years and loved my Dr and everything about Kaiser but my husband got a new job not long ago and we had to change. Kaiser was not an insurance option. It was almost a dealbreaker for him accepting the job, we loved it so much.

Our area is notorious for horrible medical options, aside from Kaiser. My grandmas heart doctor advises her not to travel here for visits because if something were to happen, he told her he wouldn't want her to end up in the hospitals here.

I ended up going with the medical group affiliated with the "better" hospital here and chose someone I could get in the soonest(it was still at least 6 weeks out) because I was going to need some medication. Lets just say now I know why she was the only one with the quickest available appt. I have not been impressed with her as a provider or the medical group as a whole. I'm now considering going out of our area(up to 25 miles) to find a new provider but the options are making me lose my mind.

I'm 40 something years old...have a history of cancer, high blood pressure and I'm having some kind of skin issues right now that I want to be seem for. What kind of Dr should I choose? I'm thinking I'm going to just see if I can get into a dermatologist for my skin but I still need a regular Dr.

My current provider's assessment of my current skin reactions, literally..."Hmm...ya, I don't know what that could be."....the end....nothing else.

 

[Christine]

Do you have a medical group? Private practice? Do you have an MD, DO(?), PA? Family practice? General Practice? Internal Medicine????

I have to choose a new Dr and I'm so confused.... We had Kaiser for years and loved my Dr and everything about Kaiser but my husband got a new job not long ago and we had to change. Kaiser was not an insurance option. It was almost a dealbreaker for him accepting the job, we loved it so much.

Our area is notorious for horrible medical options, aside from Kaiser. My grandmas heart doctor advises her not to travel here for visits because if something were to happen, he told her he wouldn't want her to end up in the hospitals here.

I ended up going with the medical group affiliated with the "better" hospital here and chose someone I could get in the soonest(it was still at least 6 weeks out) because I was going to need some medication. Lets just say now I know why she was the only one with the quickest available appt. I have not been impressed with her as a provider or the medical group as a whole. I'm now considering going out of our area(up to 25 miles) to find a new provider but the options are making me lose my mind.

I'm 40 something years old...have a history of cancer, high blood pressure and I'm having some kind of skin issues right now that I want to be seem for. What kind of Dr should I choose? I'm thinking I'm going to just see if I can get into a dermatologist for my skin but I still need a regular Dr.

My current provider's assessment of my current skin reactions, literally..."Hmm...ya, I don't know what that could be."....the end....nothing else.

I'm sorry you had to lose Kaiser. Most people in my area try to stay away from it (I was one of them) but my daughter bought it through her company. It was the cheapest option, with no deductible and she's been really happy with them (been 3 years now). She doesn't have to struggle to find a doctor and they keep on her about keeping up with things.

Anyway, at your age and with your issues, I would seek out an Internal Medicine specialist over a primary care/general practice. An internal medicine doctor is going to be better equipped to deal with issues you will encounter at this point in your life.

When choosing a doctor, just look up their bios. Some that may be parading as a family physician/GP will have often done their residency in internal medicine.

 

[gillep]

I have always lived in an area with a lot of options for great doctors and a good PPO plan that means the vast majority are in-network. So I end up doing a lot of research to select the best option for me. I look at current location, where they received their credentials/residencies/fellowships, etc., board certifications and those types of things. I also check their website for hours and how easy it seems to be to get an appointment, as well as reading about the doctor's philosophy etc. to get a feel for them.

My primary is an MD, board certified family medicine, in private practice. She is great, but I see her for just basic stuff. I also have a gynecologist that is an MD in private practice, and a dermatologist that is an PA but part of a dermatology group. I prefer to see specialists when possible as opposed to just going to my primary.

I wish you luck finding a good fit. I recommend seeing a dermatologist, I have had a few odd skin things over the years and a good dermatologist with specialized training, who sees a variety dermatology issues day in and day out, I feel, has really made the difference in getting them cleared up promptly.

 

[Searc]

Have you tried a dermatologist? That is where I'd go if I wasn't getting satisfactory care from a different provider.

 

[KayaWildfire]

Does the hospital in your area have a find a doctor feature on their website? That's how I found mine. She's an md general practitioner that does some ob/gyn too. Looked up the choices and started reading. You could filter the choices based on speciality, gender, etc. We don't have a medical group with our insurance, just a list of doctors that are covered. I would see if you can see a dermatologist yourself while you look for a doctor. When I was picking, I was fine with either md or do, but not a pa. I've never had a good experience with a pa working independently. I also just happened to pick a general practitioner, I would have been fine with an internal medicine doctor as well.

 

[AuntieMe3]

Thank you all for the advice. I have tomorrow off so I'll be checking out websites and making some phone calls. Definitely going to contact a dermatologist asap while I'm looking for a primary. I just need to decide if I should stay close or go farther away....I only have 2 options on the insurance website for my area.

 

[Carol_]

Find the closest university-associated hospital, and choose the provider who is chair of the department of whatever (dermatology, oncology, cardiology, whatever). Call that person's secretary and ask if they're accepting new patients and which insurance plans they take.

 

[kimblebee]

I have:

general doctor (mostly see for refills)
neurologist
Second neurologist
Gynaecologist
Gynaecology specialist (for hpv issue)
Eye doctor
Eye specialist

There have been others that have come and gone, but this is the list of who i see currently.

It would be such a pain in the butt to have to choose doctors based on what you have to pay and if they accept your insurance. I definitely have a changed attitude and have nothing but sympathy for anyone trying to navigate this all.

 

[okeydokey]

I have an HMO and use a primary general practitioner. However I always see his nurse practitioner for pretty much everything.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I switched over to a nurse practitioner a few years ago when Kaiser left the area. She is in a practice with a family practice doctor and another nurse practitioner. I’ve been extremely happy with her. My husband sees the regular MD in the office. He’s nice but my NP seems to spend more time with me and is easier to get into. The other thing I’ve found is she is quick to listen to me and has no problem suggesting specialists.

I had a TIA last year and I was impressed with her follow up with my neurologist. Then I had a kidney stone and surgery and repeated infections from it. Once again my care from NP and coordination with my urologist was fantastic.

Basically I was hesitant to see a nurse practitioner but the care I’ve gotten from her is above any MD I’ve ever had.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do you have a medical group? Private practice? Do you have an MD, DO(?), PA? Family practice? General Practice? Internal Medicine????

I have Kaiser. I've been in Kaiser for over 40 years. When I changed jobs, and Kaiser wasn't an option, I paid my own Kaiser membership.

Finally, my new job started offering Kaiser as one of the options. That's what both my husband and I have now.

I have a personal physician, as well as access to, basically, all other specialty doctors I may need.

Obviously, I've had great medical care with Kaiser.

 

[ponyboy]

I have a primary care physician, basically a general practitioner who I can go to for colds, minor injuries, etc. If I need something else then I go to whatever kind of doctor I need and if I don't like that one then I just go to another one.

 

[ronandannette]

I have:

general doctor (mostly see for refills)
neurologist
Second neurologist
Gynaecologist
Gynaecology specialist (for hpv issue)
Eye doctor
Eye specialist

There have been others that have come and gone, but this is the list of who i see currently.

It would be such a pain in the butt to have to choose doctors based on what you have to pay and if they accept your insurance. I definitely have a changed attitude and have nothing but sympathy for anyone trying to navigate this all.

I think most of the readers here will also not understand that none of the specialists you list can be accessed directly - you had to be referred to them. Family physicians are the gate-keepers in our system. One thing I would love is to have access to PA's or NP's. I feel like for general, non-urgent and non-chronic needs, they would be more attentive than our GP's, or mine at least.

 

[Southernmiss]

I think most of the readers here will also not understand that none of the specialists you list can be accessed directly - you had to be referred to them. Family physicians are the gate-keepers in our system. One thing I would love is to have access to PA's or NP's. I feel like for general, non-urgent and non-chronic needs, they would be more attentive than our GP's, or mine at least.

Meh. Referrals are needed in USA also.

And specialists can take months to see here, too.

 

[ronandannette]

Meh. Referrals are needed in USA also.

And specialists can take months to see here, too.

I was under the impression you had direct access to specialists like pediatricians, gynaecologists and dermatologists.

 

[disneychrista]

The only doctor I have been seeing regularly is my GYN. I see the nurse practitioner for my routine visits and the actual MD for a bi-annual procedure.

Many of the doctors are part of a medical group affiliated with the hospital. It is nice because all records are shared between practices.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I was under the impression you had direct access to specialists like pediatricians, gynaecologists and dermatologists.

No, typically, I would need a referral from my primary care giver for specialists. However, pediatricians and gynecologists are not specialists, usually, that you need a referral for.

 

[eileenjez]

I agree to find one associated with an university. They seem to get all the latest and greatest info. Right now I have an Internal Med/ PC. I also see an endocrinologist, podiatrist, and ophthalmologist. Although a lot of plans call for referrals to specialist mine does not.

 

[monsterkitty]

I have Kaiser. I've been in Kaiser for over 40 years. When I changed jobs, and Kaiser wasn't an option, I paid my own Kaiser membership.

Finally, my new job started offering Kaiser as one of the options. That's what both my husband and I have now.

I have a personal physician, as well as access to, basically, all other specialty doctors I may need.

Obviously, I've had great medical care with Kaiser.

My step-mom carried me on her Kaiser insurance along with my dad until I graduated from college. My first 3 years of teaching it was cheaper for me to pay my own Kaiser membership than it was for me to go with the insurance the school district offered new teachers. My fourth year of teaching I was able to get on the district Kaiser coverage.

I love Kaiser and have never had a problem with them. I have a few co-workers who had the other choice, but when they were diagnosed with breast cancer they switched over to Kaiser because the treatment and care plans are so good.

 

[OhhBother]

I work for a health system. I second the notion of reading physician profiles on your hospital's website. Many of them may also have podcasts and videos so that you can get to know a bit more about the doctor. You can also go on healthgrades.com to look up providers in your area, see ratings for them, etc. Best of luck to you! A good family doctor/internist is an important partner in your health.