Stud & Strength

Tips to Helping You Find the Right Doctor

You’re breaking up. You want to find a new match. Somebody who’s perfect for you. No, I’m not talking about your sweetheart. I’m talking about your doctor. It sounds a lot like relationships – and that’s no coincidence. Both involve trust and vulnerability. Dr. Vicki Rackner is a surgeon, patient advocate and author of the book The Biggest Skeleton in Your Doctor’s Closet. She considers the doctor-patient relationship to be as intimate as a life partnership. There are lots of nice people out there - but you wouldn’t want to marry most of them. The same goes for doctors. So, here are some tips to help you find Dr. Right, courtesy of CNN.

• Date before you get married. Dr. Rackner says you wouldn’t plan a weekend getaway for your first date with someone new – you’d go for coffee or dinner. Well, the same goes for a potential doctor. You should go to your first appointment with a problem of a limited scope, like a mole or thyroid check. Ask some basic questions, like “How long might I have to sit in the waiting room before seeing you?” Or, “What do I do if I need urgent care or have an emergency?” Get a feel for whether your outlooks are a match.
• Check out their Internet cred. Be honest, you’ve Googled someone you’re interested in dating. Again – do the same for a new doctor. There are plenty of websites that keep objective information on doctors. You can check on training and board certification at the American Medical Association’s website. Sites such as RateMDs.com and HealthGrades.com have doctor ratings from actual patients.
• Ask your friends to fix you up. Dr. Rackner says you should choose your friends carefully. If you’re a Type-A person who likes to ask lots of questions, asking your shy friend for a recommendation might end up in a mismatch. Choose someone who thinks the way you do.

If you’d like to go further, check out The Biggest Skeleton in Your Doctor’s Closet.