How to choose the right doctor for your family – 7 traits to look out for.
Ever walked into a Hospital … then walked right out when you see the Doctor on duty?
Yes, I know the feeling – Even if he was the last Doctor on Earth, you’d rather die than have him treat you.
Finding a #good Doctor for yourself or your family, may be a daunting task, here are some traits you should look out for (if you had the choice) when choosing your doctor.
1. A Good Listener.
A Doctor must be a good listener, gently guiding the conversation to get all the important facts – rather than cutting you short at every whim or telling you to hurry up and get to the point.
2. Calm.
A Doctor must never lose his cool, lives are dependent on his ability to remain calm through tense situations.
3. Courteous.
A courteous Doctor respects you and would not deliberately do anything that would not be in his patient’s best interest.
4. Remembers Your name and Your Kids’ names.
If after five visits, your doctor still has to look at his notes before addressing you, then he probably forgets about you after each visit.
5. Appearance.
Now I’m not talking about good looking Doctors (Grey’s Anatomy). A Doctor that appears unkempt, smelling of either Alcohol or Cigarettes may not be the best for you.
6. Word Around Town.
If the word around town is that your Doctor is not a good one, then he probably isn’t. A Good reputation has a way of spreading, so does a bad one.
7. Relationship with other Hospital Workers.
A Doctor with an excellent relationship with Nurses, Pharmacists, Lab Scientists, Records staff and Cleaners will probably be good to you. Also, he can get all the aforementioned to offer their best services to you because they like him or her.
So back to my initial question: have you ever walked into a Hospital and walked right out because of the Doctor on duty?
Not yet I haven't walked in and walked out due to doc on duty, but then I have only been four times in my 55 years in the ER and every time I wasn't capable of walking much further… i was sick enough that I was unable to judge the doc's abilities. The nurses have taken excellent care of me every time, though. I will shout that loudly from the rooftops.
Wow, four times in five decades – that certainly is commendable. Yes, I don't think genuine patients who come to the ER have a choice about who treats them. What would we do without our dear nurses?
oh I wish I could, but I always give them a piece of my mind! But we become "friends" later on 😉
Lol, Doctors do make good friends don't they? 😉
You made a good point when you said that a doctor who remembers your names will be great to have. It really helps make the experience of going for a doctor’s visit much more personal and meaningful when you know that a doctor cares enough to remember your names since it gives you that feeling they really care for your wellbeing. That’s an important trait to have, and I hope we can find a doctor like that in our area. We just moved here and I’ve been on the hunt for a family doctor that can serve me and my kids. With any luck, I’ll find someone in the area with all the habits you mentioned. That would surely mean that we’ll get the best experience we can with a doctor.
Thank you so much Tammie! Wishing you the best in adjusting to your new area and your hunt for a good family doctor.