I called up a specialist that someone recommended, and found out that his earliest appointment time was in October. The last guy I visited couldn’t solve my problem, so now I need to find someone new.
Is it worth waiting around for this guy? The long list tells me that other people seem to think so, but it could also mean that he won’t have as much time to devote to me. What if he prescribes medication that doesn’t work, would I have to wait another 4 months to see him? That doesn’t seem practical.
I made the appointment anyway. I’ve got nothing to lose except an afternoon in October.
Would it be wrong if I scheduled an appointment with another doctor before October?
I don’t think the wait for a follow-up appointment would be that long; that’s almost surely the waiting period for a new patient without an urgent problem. If he wants you to come back in a week or a month for your next checkup, he’ll tell the staff that’s when he wants you in, and they’ll set it up.
As for whether it’s worth it - maybe? At my last job, the best doctor was also the most booked-up - and overbooked, for that matter. He also wouldn’t run on time even if he wasn’t overbooked, but that’s because he spent as much time with patients and their families (it was a pediatric cardiology practice) as they needed to answer their questions and help them understand what was going on. It all depends on how good that specialist is and how odd your condition might be.
In the past I found that you could get in quicker if your regular doctor called the specialist for you. But now Doctors offices are probably so busy they don’t want to do that for you.
I agree that once you are seen they won’t make you wait a long time for your next visit.
IANAD, but I have 5 in my family. The “nicest” ones, with the best bedside manner, all have long wait times. My own primary care doctor had a long wait, so I saw her partner in the office so I could see her next. I think it helps to have a doctor you really know and like - I go to the dermatologist regularly, so I want a dermatologist I really like and respect, and vice versa. But if it’s like, a one time thing or urgent - my one visit for patellar tendinitis with a no-name orthopedic surgeon, for example - then why bother waiting?
The long wait time is usually only for a new patient appointment. New patient appointments take longer (more paperwork, more history, more physical exam, more discussion), so there are a limited number scheduled each day/week. Once you get “into the system”, follow-up appointments are shorter and easier to schedule.
