Either way, good luck with it. Been there. Done that. Will probably be there again…

My insurance company makes me go through my primary doctor. If I walked out after a 30 minute wait, then I'd have to go back to my primary and get another referral…

First of all, welcome to the site.

I love your "your have to trip most of them as they're running out the door" comment! Isn't that the truth>>> I absolutely hate it when I feel like I am imposing on the doctors because they are trying to "make up time" by hurrying.

Thank you for this website. I found it today and plan to be a regular visitor. Looking for new authors and books just became soooooo easy. I may make my goal of reading at least a book a week this summer. JS

Sometimes finding a doctor that is newer or just opened an office helps, but mostly it's just like anything else–a lot of research and trial and error.

The thing is, I don't feel confident in a doctor's diagnosis if they treat their business that way. If I'm just an appt that isn't even important, how much attention are they paying to me when I tell them what is going on?

My feelings on this have born out–not only in getting good treatment but in requesting records. When I've requested my records from offices that were run worse than a mechanic's shop, it turns out that my records "disappeared" or were "incomplete" or "you never had that test."

Moral of the story: Always get copies of your records and tests. If you don't like the way an office is run or the doctor's manner, keep looking and find another one!!!

Doesn't that beat all?!? I bet you (and the other 3 women scheduled for the first appointment after lunch) didn't get an apology for keeping you waiting. You were very lucky to finally find a doctor who actually cares enough about his/her patients to not be so rude… How do they expect to get accurate blood pressure readings right when you get into the exam room >>> after waiting an hour because of their rudeness!?!

You would be surprised! I scheduled my first three appointments with this particular doctor to be the first appointment of his day… and I actually had to wait longer then than I have ever had to wait for him. I think that when this particular doctor "starts his day" at 9:00, that means he gets into the office way past 9:00, and then has his scheduled office staff meetings. Of course, then it's all a chance of which of the three or four scheduled first-appointment patients beat the others to his office so that they can wait in line to sign in. UNBELIEVABLE!

While I'm into my complaint groove… What ever happened to the office always being "manned" during lunch time? Before I started teaching school, I had jobs in offices… way back before telephone answering machines and lunchtime "locked door policies"… At least one person had to stay in the office to accommodate the clients!!!

It is hard to find a doctor that works a little better, but it's possible. You can also try to get a "first" appt in the morning. It helps. And it isn't always avoidable because most doctors do that sort of thing these days, but you can certainly let the doctor know that it bothers you.

You'd do fine in the work force. You'd just be one of the good ones that tried to be ontime.