Been using this practice for about a year, and was mostly impressed. I have had a problem with them making us wait a long time (30-40 minutes in the exam room), but I thought I might just bring it up with the practice manager and see if they would fix it, since I really liked the doctor.
This last visit with my six year old was the final straw.
40 minute wait with a 19 month old in the room.
Attitude from the nurse when I politely asked how much longer it would be.
They wanted a urine sample, but hadn’t told me ahead of time, so of course I had her go before we left the house!
And finally, the real kicker - as the doctor prepared to pull aside her undies and do a quick check of her vulva, he said to her, “I have to look, but you don’t - cover your eyes.” WTF?
I can understand maybe some kids are shy about this, but how on earth is it helpful to imply that this is an awful dirty place you should pretend doesn’t exist, and/or having a doctor check your genitals is so unbearably awful you must shield your face and hide from it?
Thankfully we have always treated privates as normal body parts, and I don’t think this will make a lasting impression in the other direction, but boy did it piss me off!
Now, that call to the practice manager will not be, “here are some problems - how will you address them,” it will be “we’re leaving the practice and here’s why.”
Good for you. I’ve always been a firm believer that you should feel comfortable with your primary care provider.
A few years ago, my doctor’s practice decided to split off and create their own practice. When they split off, they took about 70% of the patients they had with them. I was not one of them simply because I was not comfortable with the doctor I had been seeing. So I figured it was a good idea to continue going to the location I was going to anyways and get a new physician. I now have a great physician who has been great.
:eek: That is totally creepy. Like, gave me goosebumps creepy. Her doctor should be the last person to make comments that insinuate something is wrong or dirty about her private parts! Private, yes. Dirty, no.
FWIW, my daughter has had 2 pediatricians in 2 different states, and both of them always checked her vulva as part of her overall examination. I just always assumed they were checking to make sure everything is healthy (no rash, infection, etc.).
Hm, I wonder why I don’t remember that ever happening to me? Maybe I blanked it out (my pediatrician was old and kind of creepy). Or maybe I just didn’t have as good a doctor?
I have been wondering why her pediatrician NEVER checks out her privates, all the more so as I am a single dad, and don’t ever get involved unless she mentions there is a problem down there.
Is it something I should bring up?
I think it is pretty creepy that they said that to you- I don’t run and hide if taking a look is indicated, but unless she is in a clothing optional situation (at my mom’s farm) she is always encouraged to wear panties at a minimum.
This was my 6 year old but actually a kid in diapers definitely needs that area checked for diaper rash if nothing else. Sometimes they can get REALLY bad, and sometimes it’s something like yeast, which is easy to recognize for the dr., but if the parents don’t know, they will have trouble treating it.
For a 6yo, I have no problem with a look at the vulva. It’s not like they’re giving her a pelvic exam, and the reality is, that is an area that has more likelihood of having a problem than say, the elbow or something. It is reasonable to take a look and make sure there’s no inflammation or weird drainage.
It’s the instilling of shame about it that is making me so mad! I’m sure most of us who have had to discuss something embarrassing with a doctor have felt extremely relieved when they treated it like no big deal. This was the opposite, and it is stupid and wrong.
In my experience, the doctor just takes a quick look. Like I said in my previous post, I assume he is looking for rashes, infection, etc. Babies can get diaper rashes that are actually yeast infections, so I’m sure he’s just looking for that sort of thing.
I have memories of my pediatrician doing the same to me. Quick look, no big deal. No creepy-ass comments.
At first I thought you were saying that the doctor told YOU to cover YOUR eyes and I thought :eek:… then I realized what you meant, which is still bad enough.
Long wait times in the exam room are a personal peeve of mine. Thankfully, our current pediatrician’s office is really quick about getting to us once we’ve been shown back to the room. If I have an inquisitive toddler, my limit is about 20 minutes before I start completely losing my crap with keeping him out of the doctor’s supplies, away from the computer keyboard, off the rolly stool thing, etc.
I would have totally dropped that doctor too, btw. That’s just… wow. Really inappropriate.
Yeah, I also had no clue this was par for the course. Then again, I was born in a non-diaper culture and potty trained by the time I came to the West. But I really don’t remember any of these types of checks by my paediatrician. Just constant rounds of vaccinations (with bonus mercury).
I will say that nearly every doctor’s office I’ve been at has had rude-ass staff. However, my doctors themselves were quite nice.
