Ok so I’m 22, live in toronto, and I have never had a doctor besides my pediatrician, which I obviously stopped seeing a while ago. I haven’t seen a doctor since, unless it was an emergency visit.
So how do I go about getting my own doctor? Do I just walk up to the front desk in one of those massive hospitals and pick one? I’ve noticed a certain… anomoly… in my physical health, and I’ve been putting this off for about 6 months, so I feel its time I got this checked out.
I think I am rare in the way I deal with it, but I don’t have “my own” doctor. I have been going to the same clinic for years, but I will call and make an appointment with the first MD that can see me. The clinic has my files, so to me it really doesn’t matter who the doctor is - most docs spend 5 minutes with the patient anyways, not enough time in my experience to form any type of “relationship” - what matters to me is the appointment fit my schedule.
/fairly healthy person
Some health insurance plans have a list of doctors that participate. Many hospitals also have lists of doctors in various specialties. You can start with either one of these; check their websites or call on the phone. Also ask people you know and share attitudes with about their doctors.
Once you have a short list of doctors you think you’d like to consider, call the office number and ask if the doctor is accepting new patients. If so, ask to schedule an initial consultation; be very upfront and say that you are searching. Sometimes they will agree to an initial meeting just to get acqainted, where you get to keep your clothes on and just talk about the kind of medical care you need. You get to see if you like the way the place is run, whether you hit it off personally, whether he/she is associated with your preferred hospital, etc.
When you go for your first actual medical consultation, there will most likely be a lot of forms to fill out, and a detailed medical history taken. Most want to give a full physical the first time so they have a baseline.
IMHO it’s a good idea to have one doctor as a primary care person, either a general practitioner, internist or family medicine specialty. If you have a specific problem that requires a more precise specialty, or more expertise, the GP can determine which one you need and may have individuals to recommend.
Call your old pediatrician and ask for a recommendation.
For me it was a long process of trial and error. I used to see doctors for various bumps and scrapes (I used to compete in local Tae Kwon Do tourneys). Some didn’t really seem motivated, others did. It was a slow process. I finally settled for one that was always proactive in my care. Its pretty cool. They know your history so alot of the questions are out of the way. I also feel alot more comfortable explaning things to her.
Up here in Canada insurance isn’t an issue - some doctors are specialists, and prefer to take only younger women who are expecting for instance, or older patients, but in general finding a Family Doctor isn’t that hard.
I found a doctor & had an appointment in a few days online in a so-called doctors shortage.
Try this page: http://www.cpso.on.ca/Doctor_Search/ez_srch.asp?Scr=FIRST
If you have specific needs from your doctor ( e.g. female, gay friendly or knowledgeable about diabetes) check with other people you know in the same situation who might be able to recommend someone.
If you do find a doctor you like and they work at a larger practice try and make sure you see them everytime if practicable. Boscibo’s option works well if you’re seeing the doctor every two or three years for something minor, not if you’ll want someone more frequently.
Although doctors only spend a few minutes with each patient, most of them are pretty good at remembering details. It might be quite frustrating to have to tell every doc in the practice that you’d prefer not to use animal-derived products, or that although you’re not allergic to a particular drug it does really funny things to you (not everything gets put into the notes).
Plus, just because one doc in the place is fab, doesn’t mean that all the partners will click just as well…finding a doctor that suits you is also about making sure you like their personality and style, as well as whether you agree with their treatments.
It’s why I only see one doctor at the college health service (after bad experiences with the others) and only 2 of the 5 partners in the practice where I grew up. Not that they’re bad doctors, they’re just not the people I would choose to spend time with if I require medical help.