Though only thing that ever bothers me is when the doctor looks like my teenager.
Really, they gave you a medical degree at 14?
@LoveMyPuppies , a ādoc in a boxā is a term for a doctor who maintains a primary care practice that has a significant walk-in component. In my experience it is a somewhat derogatory term used by other doctors, but I have found the care offered by such physicians to be just fine.
I would suggest that a patient who made that assumption was operating from racism-stimulated prejudice. Less qualified because of āa different raceā? Does this apply to everyone? Should Asian patients be afraid that their Caucasian doctor is another lazy white American who never bothered to study as hard as the Asian kids? What about female doctors, since āaffirmative actionā traditionally applies to women also? How silly is this stuff?
By the time the individual is let loose on patients in a hospital they have already proven their ability to master the medical school curriculum to a sufficient degree.
Perhaps if people looked at the advice commonly given med school aspirants hereāgo to the cheapest college with less competition where you can more easily get the best grades, rather than the most selective and demanding schoolsāthat would more reasonably make them nervous about the academic qualifications of residents!
@SouthFloridaMom9 - so itās not just me? I keep seeing medical (& other) professionals who appear to be about 20 (when theyāre really 30+.)
As for bigotry, I saw a new young doctor one weekend (at a doc-in-a-box storefront office) about five years ago. We got to chatting (there were no other patients waiting) and when I told him how glad I was about his office opening so near us, he said he didnāt expect to be there much longer. I didnāt ask his ethnicity but would guess he was from India. He said heād met with a lot of distrust and didnāt believe he could sustain a practice even with a partner. The office was closed within three months and the doctor moved to a major northern city.
I had an Indian doctor in a DC suburb and he told me of all the racism and horrible comments he got when he had worked in central Virginia. He moved after that. Not sure if it was from patients or not but if it makes an intolerable atmosphere, it doesnāt matter.
Wow, some loaded comments here.
Wherever educated, they still get certified to practice in the US and that increasingly includes communications skills.
My girlsā doc (post-ped,) - India. My urologist and ortho, plus doc/hospitalist who figured out a long term issue MIL dealt with, that stumped that dumb female cardio - Pakistan. One primary doc DH (and every single other friend who went to him) āadoredā- Ehtiopia. Lost this doc to a major, prestigious NIH grant. Another specialist I had - Malaysia.
Cāmon, cāmon. Good doc are good docs. Every once in a while, you run into a not-so-good one.
edited to correct.
Patients have no interest in being tolerant or politically correct, especially sick patients. Most people on this forum are probably considered ānormalā and have no idea what an urban emergency room is like, especially when dealing with substance abusers, alcoholics, and criminals. Handing a patient satisfaction survey to the belligerent drunk guy in handcuffs does not really compute.
Doctors and nurses who work in environments like that are mostly inured to racist, sexist, obnoxious talk. In fact, it is almost a job requirement to tolerate obnoxious patients.
I think most people naturally prefer doctors who are most like themselves in terms of language, customs, ethnicity. There is nothing wrong with that. However, increasingly patients are unable to freely choose their doctors and doctors certainly donāt freely choose their patients. Lack of freedom exacerbates intolerance.
Where they got their education is somewhat important, but so is where they did their residency. That is more important to me. Many less desired areas in the US (from inner cities to rural areas) are filled by foreign born and educated docs who want to come here. Who cares if they may still have an accent after that?
Experience is important and it comes from many places. D3ās doc who advised here about infectious disease for a potential trip to Africa, was from Africa. Extra points there in my book!
My current PCP is an Iranian Jew educated in Israel. He is excellent. My prior doctor was a Filipina educated in the Philippines. I only left her practice because she opted to become a hospitalist in order to have more time with her children and gave up her practice altogether. Both of them speak English with accents. In my current doctorās case, English is his second or even third, language.
I check doctors out on the state website, I google them, I ask a friend who is a doctor to check doctors out, I run them through the state law suit database to see if they have been sued.
When I go to the ER, I donāt really have a choice, but other than that, I check.
As for doctors of other ethnic groups, an African-American doctor diagnosed a bladder issue I had after the birth of one of my children; he was the 4th doctor I consulted. I used to go to an Indian rheumatologist who was terrific.
I have no prejudices about medical professionals. My main concern is that I prefer doctors who are between 40 and 60 years of age as I think they are in their prime at those ages. Iām willing to go older for doctors who are not surgeons and, of course, most of the doctors you see at the ER or urgent care are younger.
I would like to see younger doctors, if possible so they will still be around to treat me. I now have one who is 49 and considers himself very young. My doc who is my age (late 50s), is closing her office and retiring because of a cancer diagnosis; she has treated me and my kids for 14 years! Another doctor who has treated me for 16 years is 70 and retiring, but referring me to a colleague who is also 70!
My other docs and dentist range in age between 40s and 60s, plus my optometrist who is in his 70s. I didnāt choose any by age, ethnicity or where they attended med school. All are excellent and well-respected in their field and the communities where they practice.
Now that I think of it, the only MD I or my kids have seen who was educated outside the US was a pediatric allergist from India who was doing additional training at the #1 respiratory hospital in the US. He cared for my kids for a week and we thought he provided very good care. We kept in touch with him for some years and last I heard he went back to India and set up an allergy clinic to share all heās learned.
One of my staff members was an MD by training, educated in another country. She was not willing to do the rigorous work to try to get licensed as an MD in the US (as you have to pass written exams and also have to put in years of internship and residency, I believe), but she has gotten several public health and research positions.
I had to really think about what ethnicity and age my doctors are. They run the spectrum in both. Iāve been in the hospital for nearly 12 hours now and have seen over half a dozen medical personnel. Neither know nor care what they look like as long as they control my pain.
The worst doctor Iāve ever had was a younger woman from Russia. The best I ever had was an older male from China. Everyone in between just runs together.
Personally, the best ER care I tend to have is from the super young medical doctors and residents. They actually take the time to listen, truly listen. What a concept!
I have had to choose doctors ( mostly primary care or pediatricians ) based on names. This was prior to the internet and being able to look at any online reviews. I admit that I have steered clear from those that I suspect are immigrants because of my experiences with them. It is all about ability to effectively communicate and nothing else.
I was stuck with a pediatrician when I moved to NY years ago. I had a bad experience all around with her and wasnāt allowed to request another doctor. Her English also was terrible, not helpful to me as a new mother.
I have a gastroenterologist with a name that I cannot pronounce. I think he is Indian , but I donāt know. I also donāt care because his English is perfect and he is a fine doctor. I have had excellent care and communication from him.
I am sure thereās racism in choosing a physician and probably also for doctors if they get to choose a patient. I am just not sure if we need to elevate the issue to racism. I was at a shoestore yesterday. An african american salesman helped me initially. He neglected me, asian, when a white client showed up. I waited about 20-30 minutes and went up to him to get another sales associate help me. His neglect made me waste my time and he lost a sale. I could call that racism and get indignant or I could say I had a jerk of a salesperson and move on. In the scheme of things, itās minor. I got a pair of shoes I wanted in the end. Next time, he may change a bit and get to sell.
Not really increasingly. It has been true for decades that there has been a shortage of primary care physicians taking new patients, so choice is limited to begin with (and further reduced by insurance company networks except for those wealthy enough to self-pay medical care). Other common situations like urgent care, emergency care, and being seen by various physicians on duty in the hospital are / were never really patient choice situations in the first place.
While mostly true, some pediatricians dismiss and refuse business from anti-vaccine parents.
The worst doctor I ever had was a white, Jewish man in his 50ās or older who was my family doctor in college. I am a white, Jewish female. I would go to him crying that I was in terrible pain, could not stand up without help, my hands were swollen so badly that I couldnāt type, etc. His reaction EVERY TIME was to refer me to a psychiatrist. After essentially missing an entire school year because I was too exhausted and in pain to go to class, I told my boyfriend that I was going to kill myself if I didnāt get some relief. He took me to the ER, where the resident on call, another white Jewish man, probably in his late 20ās or so, immediately diagnosed me with rheumatoid arthritis! I actually filed a complaint against the first doctor, but it went nowhere because he ādoctoredā the records to remove references to my joints actually being swollen and the like.
The best doctor I ever used was the pediatrician I ultimately settled on for my kids. He was also a white Jewish male. He was the covering doctor when my middle son, then about 11 months old, became violently ill at day care. It was before cell phones and my boss actually sent a colleague to the court house to get me. The baby sitter had called my doctor, who was out, so she called her pediatrician, who was my doctorās on call cover. This man went and opened his office on a day he wasnāt scheduled to have hours just to see a child who wasnāt his patient. My son started convulsing as soon as we walked in the door. The doctor grabbed the baby and (sorry if this is gross) immediately inserted a fever suppository. Within minutes, my son was calmer. It turned out that he had Coxsackie virus and if his fever had continued to rise, he could have sustained brain damage. Anyway, we stayed with this man for 16 years, until he sadly passed away at the age of 59. My 26 year old son recently commented that he would STILL be going to this doctor if he could.
The best MDs Iāve ever had were a Jewish male in CO and a Chinese female in HI. He was in his mid-50s when we met and she in her mid-40s.
I ended up with him because he was available and participating and preferred on my insurance. He was extremely knowledgeable, caring, and able to synthesize everything that all my docs previously had done and work with me to move forward. He and I have developed a very strong bond over he past 16 years.
The female MD has served us for 14 years and helped us treat our kids when others gave up, scratching their heads, worked with our school, etc.
Both MDs could have been green or purple for all we cared. We were just grateful for the excellent, knowledgeable care they provided for so long. It was invaluable and we are so grateful and will miss them both as they are retiring.
I had a doctor whose name I couldnāt pronounce. A young, blond, American, former ballerina. Happens.
The best doctor Iāve ever had is my primary. Iāve been seeing her since just before I got married. If she wasnāt my doctor, weād be friends. I think her parents are from India, but she could have been born there too for all I know. Iāve never asked because I donāt care. Sheās super smart and listens, which is really important to me.
Two of the 3 worst doctors Iāve ever had were foreign born men (the 3rd was a much older American man) who treated me in a dismissive, condescending manner. I donāt know if they treated me the way they did because Iām a woman or because theyāre idiots, but the end result was the same. I fired them. But it was due to their behavior, not their race or nationality.
My beloved DIL is a pediatrics resident. Sheās brilliant, compassionate, graciousā¦everything anyone could hope for in a pediatrician. Sheās proud of her heritage. She gets her beauty from her Indian mother and has retained her Jewish fatherās last name. It breaks my heart to think that she could be discriminated against for either of these reasons.
I was a pediatrician in a small city in the rural midwest for fifteen years. Iām American-born and educated (an Iowa girl!) whose parents were from China. I kept my (Chinese) maiden name for work because my married name (Jewish) might have confused people even more (and I wanted to honor my dad, who paid for med school). I know there were parents who were leery of me/my looks/my name, until I opened my mouth and my brain. It was a hoot though, listening to four year old farmersā kids instructing their parents or grandparents on how to pronounce my (slightly tricky) last name correctly. Hearing them instruct their elders with perfect Chinese pronunciation. Priceless!
I donāt care what my doctor looks like or where he/she is from as long as they are qualified and I can communicate with them. My regular doctor recently left the practice and I was randomly assigned a new doctor. I had no problem with the fact that she was Chinese, but I did with the fact that I could not understand much of what she said. She was obviously having trouble understanding me also. In the end, she misdiagnosed me because of the lack of communication. When I requested a new doctor, the desk staff asked me if communication was a problem- I was obviously not the first patient to switch away from her. I have no doubt she was highly qualified, but if I canāt communicate adequately with my doctor then it just doesnāt work.