It’s a common TV trope: In the first scene, doctor and patient are in the examining room. Then cut to the next scene, doctor and patient are in the doctor’s office (Complete with fancy red oak wood desk etc…). This is the scene where the doctor gives his prognosis of the exam.
Is this actually a thing? I’ve never once been invited into the doctor’s office.
In the past year, I’ve been seeing five doctors: my GP, and four specialists. Two of the specialists bring me into their office after the examination to discuss the results. The other three talk with me in the examining room. So it is a thing, but it depends on the doctor’s preference (and, I’m guessing, the ratio of patients in the waiting room to available examining rooms).
It’s happened a few times. Each time my father has been diagnosed with cancer, the diagnosis was officially delivered in the oncologists office, rather than an examining room. Then we discussed the treatment plan.
My wife and I also discussed fertility options In a similar setting with a reproductive specialist.
My wife is a fertility doc. She generally sees patients in her office to discuss the results of tests, the plan, etc.
All the talks I had with my surgeon leading up to surgery took place in his office.
My father’s oncologist sees his patients in his office for official diagnosis and discussion of treatment options, etc., as did my mom’s oncologist years and years ago.
I wonder if it may be more prevalent with doctors dealing with life-changing or potentially fatal diagnoses (cancer, infertility, that kind of thing) since it may be more “now we’re discussing things” and the patient is feeling less vulnerable than sitting on a crinkly paper-covered exam table in a sterile examination room.
Huh. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an exam room be separate from the doctor’s office. My GP just has an examination table and all the other stuff right in his office. You go in, sit down at the extra chair by his desk and tell him what’s up; if you just need to show him your sore throat or the kid’s weird rash, then you do it there, but if he needs to do any serious examining he has you get up on the table. Then you both sit back down at the desk again and talk about it. The same goes for the obstetricians I saw when I was having both my kids.
In the US, are the exam room and the doctor’s office always separate?
Yeah, I was wondering that too. Maybe it’s because doctors in the U.S. are so much richer than anywhere else - they can afford two rooms.
They are separate so that the exam room can be sanitized properly.
As for The Talk, all my doctors have preferred to speak in the office. I appreciate it, because the exam room is such a sterile and vulnerable place for the patient.
That’s where I just had to sit there freezing in that ludicrous paper drape, you know? I far prefer a comfortable chair in a room where I’ve never been nakedd for life and death discussions.
I think it’s more usual for specialists. My oncologist took me into her office to discuss my treatment options after I first went to her for an exam.
Growing up 50 years back the exam table and area were often in the same room as the desk & bookcase. And most had the obligatory skeleton on display somewhere. The last 10 years the only hint I’ve had that doctors have desks are a few that treat more special/ongoing concerns. My neurosurgeon worked as described in the OP and one orthopod. But for the most part its basically just in the exam room and out the door stopping to pay on the way out.
I don’t think I’ve ever actually been in an office. Just exam room and then I’m sent on my way.
I’ve never seen this…I’ve seen:
-regular news: in the exam room
-VERY BAD news: in a conference room.
No doctor office though…
My two doctors - a PCP and a specialist - are members of a larger practice and don’t possess a nice office with a big wooden desk. Yes, they each have a private office, but it’s basically an exam room size with a metal desk and very little in the way of guest seating.
Years ago, when I had a doctor with a private practice, he did have such an office and he did see you there after your exam to deliver the results. While he was seeing you, his nurse/assistant was prepping that room for the next patient. The doctor had two exam rooms and I always felt the reason for moving you to the office was simply to allow the other exam room to be cleaned and prepped for the next patient.
Oncologists, whose business is largely delivering unhappy news, probably use the office to spare the patient a terminal diagnosis while he or she sits, shivering, in a paper gown. There’s zero dignity in that state.
I’ve never been given news or results in the doctor’s private office. I always figured that happened when things were pretty serious.
My orthopedic surgeon gave me surgical info and options in the exam room, ditto the ENT who did my sinus surgery.
I have been in my allergist’s office (I did some office work for him when I was unemployed and uninsured in return for free care). and he could never use it to see patients. It’s a mess, stacks of papers everywhere. I gave him a hard time about an incipient “dust mite takeover” of the office. 
I’ve only been called into a doctor’s office when it’s either very serious (cancer or surgery) or I’ve been running around the building getting tests and they’ve put someone else in the exam room.
In the UK a GP just has an examination table in the same room as her desk. For referrals to a hospital either tests X rays etc are done and the results forwarded to the GP in a week or so or tests are done and you go to a doctor’s office for the results and discussion of further action. I’ve never known an actual consultant to perform an examination or tests, either techs or a more junior doctor carry them out.
This used to be fairly standard practice, especially in small offices. While you are in the office the next patient is going into the examination room.
I’ve seen this. Never for regular check ups, but always if the visit was for something that had just cropped up… like a sudden change in something… that I wanted him to check out.
Oncologist was in office
Nephrologist(s) so far have had nothing critical to say, but I"m a long-term and stable patient.
If I ever get to stage V, I suspect the discussion will move to an office.
Just occurred: the oncologist was high-end private practice; the nephrologists are Med Center employees - they probably do not have plushy offices.