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If this isn't kosher, let me know. I just really want to rant about this :/
So, Friday I had a gyno appointment to discuss birth control/write me a prescription (I've been taking free samples). It was TOTAL CRAP. My boyfriend went with me, we showed up early (as the office has been known to take away your appointment if you're a certain amount of time late and it's a $50 fee). We'd made up a LONG list of questions the night before. My appointment was at 11:10. When we got there, the room was basically empty. While we sat, easily 10-20 other people came and went to their appointment. We didn't even get taken to a room until...almost 12:30. We then sat around in the room for maybe 15-20 MORE minutes. So, my gyno FINALLY comes in and she completely ignored my boyfriend...didn't even say hi. She asked me what I didn't like about my current BC. I showed her that I had a list, but she just wrote something down and told me to choose a pharmacy. Nothing else, just "choose a pharmacy." I ended up choosing the wrong one (pretty far from my house)...luckily it was at least in the same town! Then she told us to follow her to check out. Nevermind the fact that my list covered a whole page front and back...she wasn't going to address those concerns. Nevermind that I had a health question...I didn't even bother because she would have told me to schedule an appointment so she could look at it...which would cost me $25 more dollars. At least the problem's cleared itself up more or less (really just seems my poor vag had to readjust to having my boyfriend around almost all the time!). And problems I pointed out, she told me I either had "one or the other, not both" (excessive vaginal wetness, but dryness during sex). She didn't offer any solutions for my moodyness or dryness...just told me that that's why she doesn't take pills anymore. And to top it off...my boyfriend exploded at me...which was just the perfect finish to such a crappy appointment >_< luckily he realized how much of an ass he was and apologized (then did a dozen different cute things that made the day SOOOOOO much better). We even managed to figure out which Rite Aid she'd sent the prescription to and it WAS super cheap. Now if only MedCo had some sort of intelligent order system...I feel like spending the extra $20 a year to avoid all the crap they want.
My (now ex) gyno rushed me through at my FIRST annual (which sucked for a dozen outside reasons) a few months earlier. I waited for an hour there. And then 3 more hours because she had to go assist in surgery. I'm wholly unsatisfied with her. Needless to say, I'll be getting a new gyno. But the problem is...there's a whole 2 other gynos in the area covered by my insurance. Hopefully I can find someone better. Anyone know of any place to find gyno reviews online? I've looked through the one on here, but there's none in my area.
Sorry this is so long...I really needed to rant about that.
My (now ex) gyno rushed me through at my FIRST annual (which sucked for a dozen outside reasons) a few months earlier. I waited for an hour there. And then 3 more hours because she had to go assist in surgery. I'm wholly unsatisfied with her. Needless to say, I'll be getting a new gyno. But the problem is...there's a whole 2 other gynos in the area covered by my insurance. Hopefully I can find someone better. Anyone know of any place to find gyno reviews online? I've looked through the one on here, but there's none in my area.
Sorry this is so long...I really needed to rant about that.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-12 10:32 pm (UTC)About my only suggestion would be to plug in the name of the practice, and your town, and hit "enter" on Google (or Yahoo, or both), and see what turns up. (This is a trick I've used to identify phone numbers when collection agencies call my cellphone looking for the phone number's prior owner. O:p )
no subject
Date: 2008-05-12 10:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-12 11:26 pm (UTC)Doctors really don't care. YOU have to be pro-active for yourself/your health because no one else will be, especially not doctors.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 12:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 12:12 pm (UTC)The money and the status can play a big role. I personally have never had the pleasure of meeting a nice doctor, or one who is even remotely polite.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 03:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 03:30 pm (UTC)>.> it's just really lame seeing how people generalize others.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 12:27 am (UTC)As far as recommendations I don't have anything beyond our resources here: perhaps if you are comfortable posting your geographic region someone would have a suggestion or two?
no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 08:51 am (UTC)You should also complain to your insurance: if enough people complain about this doctor, they may drop her from their list of providers. If the doctor is part of a medical group or affiliated with a hospital, complain to them as well. They really do want to know.
Why would she want you to choose a pharmacy? They just write a scrip. You take it to the pharmacy, and you can choose whichever one you want.
(I disagree with people who think doctors should "care." No, doctors need to treat patients like *customers*. Great ones do, others don't. I don't care if they care; it's not like I care about them. One thing I love about managingcontraception.com is that they NEVER say "patient" and always say client.)
no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 09:19 pm (UTC)I can't say this is what happened in the OP's case, but I know that if I specify a pharmacy, my provider will actually call in the prescription for me while I'm still at the clinic -- so the actual pills are ready and waiting for me when I first get there. It saves me an extra trip. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-05-15 07:22 am (UTC)About two years ago, I chose a gyno at random based on the proximity to work and such. I live in NYC, so there are TONS of gynos around. I just picked the wrong practice. My very first appointment with the gyno ever was very clinical. She answered questions and sort of talked me through, but she wasn't warm or friendly at all. Not too long afterwards, I got a call saying my pap smear was abnormal, I tested positive for HPV and I had to go in for a colposcopy. The person who called gave me zero information about what anything meant and I freaked out, convinced that I had cervical cancer or herpes. I made an appointment right away, with a different doctor. On the day of that appointment, I was chided by the second doctor for freaking out about this. She didn't explain anything to me at all and proceeded with the colposcopy which was incredibly uncomfortable and painful. Not long after that, I got another call saying that my "sample did not survive processing" and I had to go back. What's even better? They charged me for it too.
The results came back normal and I was fine. But then! Oh, yes, it gets better. Then, I made an appointment the next year, a little early, but about a year later. My insurance coverage was going to end and I wanted to get it in. The office had called to make sure that my insurance would cover the appointment, because it was a little early and I confirmed with the company that they would. When I get into the doctor's office, this woman has the audacity to ask me again if the insurance would cover it and then said, "Because I want to make sure I'm getting paid for this."
Needless to say, I'm never going back to that practice.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 10:37 pm (UTC)