How do you pick your doctors. What makes a doctor "good"?

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hapa
hapa Member Posts: 920
edited October 2018 in Recommend Your Resources

I'm just wondering how other people pick their doctors. What in your opinion makes a doctor a good doctor?

I also wonder how doctors get the reputation of being a great doctor.

Personally, I look at a doctor's credentials and publications. I like to have a doctor that is involved in research, as I feel like these doctors will also be current on the research that's out there. I want a doctor to discuss risks and benefits of the treatments they're proposing, and like doctors that can quantify these things so I can make an informed decision. I prefer doctors that talk in plain language. I'm fairly educated but I haven't gone to medical school so if they get too technical I'm going to get lost. And of course I like a doctor who will take the time to answer my questions, but frankly I haven't run into one that won't.

I kept hearing over and over that my BS was the best or one of the best in the country. I finally started asking people why they thought that. The answers I got were that her patients rarely had complications, she was more careful than other doctors when operating, and was very good about not leaving any cancer behind (like stray cells in the mastectomy scar, etc). Ok, that makes sense. Unfortunately, data on these things isn't available to patients when they're looking for a doctor.

I think though a lot of times when people say their doctor is a great doctor, what they really mean is that they like their doctor. I don't give a crap about liking my doctor. I mean, obviously I don't want to be dealing with an a-hole for a doctor, but I don't need to build a relationship with this person. I'd rather have a good outcome than a new friend.

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited October 2018

    For an oncologist I wanted someone who stays very current and also has a large patient base. I am fortunate to have one with these things and he is easy to get appointments with. He is thorough in his examinations and treatments.

    For a plastic surgeon I put up with a supreme ego to get the desired cosmetic result. Fortunately, don't have to deal with it that much.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited October 2018

    For my surgeon, I went with the person my PCP recommended as someone who worked well with patients and my clinic. When I met him, I paid attention to 1) whether he was interested in my questions; 2) how he explained my options; and 3) whether his hands trembled (they didn't).

    I was suggested a local MO, who turned out to be a yutz. My lovely wife got online and looked for oncologists while I curled up in a frightened little ball. She found me a female oncologist with a breast cancer focus who worked at a teaching hospital. I fired the yutz and made an appointment with her. She was smart, empathic, and informative, and coordinated my care well with my other providers. I have been VERY happy with her.

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  • Runrcrb
    Runrcrb Member Posts: 577
    edited October 2018

    i didnt research any of my doctors. My PCP sent me to the breast surgeon who happens to be top rated in my community. The reason I stayed is that he explained things and listened to me. Never did i feel rushed in his office or on the phone with him. I didn’t use the PS he sent me to (she doesn’t do diep) but that PS recommended the one i used as doing great work. Again he listened and answered my questions and still responds to my emails. Same for my MO and RO. Referred by my BS and the consultants were in line with my needs- listen to me, answer my questions and never make me feel rushed or brushed off. No one ever belittled my concerns.

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  • hapa
    hapa Member Posts: 920
    edited October 2018

    Meow - how did you know you'd get a good cosmetic outcome from your PS?

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  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited October 2018

    Finding a good doctor - the ultimate quest!

    I usually start with who takes my insurance. Then I look at their location relative to me. Then I look at their education. And - right or wrong - I look them up online for reviews. After that, it's just mostly impressions.

    Ideally, I'd like a doctor who is like a partner with me. I want someone who will share what they know and educate me on my options. But they need to listen to me. I'm not just a patient - I'm a person, too.

    Unfortunately - most often you don't know what you're getting until you get there. I'm a big proponent of second opinions because I've found that I do better with more info. And it gives me an opportunity to "try on" another doctor.


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  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited October 2018

    Interesting post. When my PCP felt the lump, he also gave me a referral for a surgeon but when I asked the hospital to fax mammo and ultrasound results to him, a very concerned nurse said she’d heard bad things from multiple patients about him (complications not attitude). I wanted to see an MO first anyway, so I tossed the referral and went to MD Anderson.

    At MDA, I was assigned a team (MO, BS & RO). All seemed very knowledgeable and experienced. My MO specialized in my cancer subtype and was very involved in trials but was not very personable. After a few visits, I told her what I expected (time for Q&A, quick test results and a team approach. I would not just nod politely at everything said, she, my husband and I would discuss things first). After that, she became the MO I wanted/needed.

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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited October 2018

    I tend to go by word of mouth. I work in healthcare and work closely with doctors. In general they know each other or know of each other. They know which of their colleagues botch everything and make poor decisions, and which ones they would personally go to if they needed medical care. So I chose my BS based on who my GYN wanted me to go to (was an excellent choice) and then the BS referred me to a very good oncologist...who came in to see me for a consultation on her vacation week---I was squeezed in, because the BS really wanted me to see her and no one wanted me to wait and extra week. Found a good derm when my RO texted her good friend the derm (seriously) to get me a next day emergency appointment.

    What really helped is when I was diagnosed, the MD I work with asked who I was seeing for everything and was pleased with my choices. It relaxed me a little to get her approval because she's a good doctor too and I trust her opinions.

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  • hapa
    hapa Member Posts: 920
    edited October 2018

    When I was getting diagnosed, I went for opinions at a few different cancer centers/practices. I picked the one I'm treating at because I really liked the MO. He spoke about treatments in terms of benefit vs. harm, he used language that was easy to understand (no big medical terms) and he was very matter of fact about things. He also had a lot of publications and was involved in a lot of breast cancer studies, and has been practicing for a long time. I was pretty pleased with him before we even met, but talking with him he seemed even better. So far, I'm still very happy with him.

    My BS I picked because she was recommended by a PS that used to work at the same cancer center doing breast reconstruction. I've been told by so many people that she was one of the best BSs in the country, and I looked at her bio and she has a huge list of publications. I liked her well enough and she explained things well at my appointments, but nothing about her screamed "top surgeon" and she seemed kind of egotistical. At one of my biopsies, one of the nurses commented that patients come from all over the world to see her. Her PA during my follow up appointment said she's the best surgeon in the world (she also said my MO is one of the best in the country and probably the best in this region). My PT also said the BS was the best in the country and that if she had breast cancer there's no question that's who she would go to. I asked why she thought that. She said that they all went and observed surgeries from time to time, and my BS was more careful than other surgeons, and it seemed like she was able to "get in there more without causing any damage." Something to do with having small hands. And also that my BS had a very low rate of complications.

    When I was referred for radiation, I met with a nurse before I met with my RO who told me how great she thought the RO was, and how impressed she was with her. After talking with the RO about my radiation plan and asking her about risks and benefits, I have to say I did not agree with her nurse. I felt like I walked out of there with no clear understanding of how much risk or benefit I would get out of this treatment. I was strongly considering refusing the treatment.

    I found another RO whose qualifications looked great on paper and flew out to see him. This visit was completely different; he walked me through all the studies to explain how they arrived at my treatment plan. He estimated my personal risks and benefits for the treatment. He told me what things he did to mitigate the risks and what things I could do to mitigate the risks of the long term side effects I was most concerned about. He also gave me a lot of information on treating and living with the side effects themselves. Nobody has told me that this guy is a great doctor, but he sure seems like one to me.

    When my dad had cancer, he went to a couple different practices and wound up picking a MO that he liked. My dad's treatment didn't go very well. Eventually, I got more involved in it and when I looked up his doctor I was shocked to see that the guy went to medical school in the Caribbean. He inherited his medical practice from his dad. The guy declined to do a biopsy when one of my dad's lymph nodes lit up on a follow-up PET scan because "what else would it be besides cancer?" and just started him back on chemo. Both of those things made me think he was a terrible doctor. Well, the lymph node thing turned out to be a different kind of cancer, and the chemo the guy put him on did nothing but suppress his immune system and let the new cancer flourish. My dad refused to change doctors. According to my mom, when my dad would go to appointments, they'd just talk about stuff like football. So he did more chemo with this doctor and ultimately died a few months later. I later found out that chemo response rates for my dad's type of cancer were very low, and his survival odds were very low from the get go. According to my mom, the doctor never discussed my dad's prognosis, or how likely the chemo was to work. Of course I still think he was a terrible doctor, but apparently my dad disagreed.

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  • rachelcarter35
    rachelcarter35 Member Posts: 368
    edited October 2018

    I initially agreed with the idea that a doctor could be a jerk and a great surgeon. It takes a certain amount of hubris and cockiness to feel that you can cut into a person and make them better.

    I ended up changing my opinion.

    After much unnecessary suffering and second guessing my better instincts, I ended up firing my PS. I wish I had done it sooner. The truth is that our treatment needs to be a partnership . We need doctors that can communicate and make us feel heard.

    This is brutal enough without putting up with being treated badly. I think we can expect both competence AND good bed side manner.

    My new PS had an incredibly good pedigree. He had gone to the best schools and was involved with research still. But the real selling point for me was that after my first visit with him I knew that he loved his work and wanted to be excellent. I also new he heard me and I trusted him to make every effort to do what I wanted.

    It was such a giant contrast to my previous PS and I realized that I had not been listening to my instincts and had put up with some serious unnecessary BS. Like I said this is brutal enough without having to suffer this way.


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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited October 2018

    My OB/GYN recommended a surgeon when I was DX but while he was a good surgeon he wasn’t a breast surgeon and that’s what I wanted so I asked around to several people who were privy to the best in the medical community. Also a friend had just been DX and sherecommended someone who turned out to be one of the best in town. Not that great of a bedside manner but definitely capable. I went with him.

    My MO was knowledgeable but had a bit of an ego too. She is on staff st the best cancer center in the area. I liked my RO and his team. They were so caring and efficient.

    You just never know for sure except you need to have a decent relationship with your medical team. If it doesn’t feel like a good fit to you check around for someone else.

    Diane

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited October 2018

    I didn't know I would get a good outcome but he was so incredibly sure of himself. I did read his reviews and frankly there was another plastic surgeon I was interested in but was turned off by the hospital's reputation. My friend who had done the DIEP 2 years prior to me, her doctor retired. She looked very good, her abdomen incision was quite a bit higher than mine though.

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  • Runrcrb
    Runrcrb Member Posts: 577
    edited October 2018

    i just remembered - if your surgeon is local and you know any OR nurses, ask them. I have a good friend who happens to be a nurse working in the OR at my closest hospital. She did a happy dance when i told her who my BS was. She had worked with him his entire career here and felt he was top notch. (She also hand picked my anesthesia team for my mastectomy surgery and hung out in the waiting room with my daughter,)

    OR nurses can tell you a lot about surgeons.


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