Posted by svevo1922 on November 21, 2001, at 10:01:36
In reply to Re: Help picking out a pdoc? » JohnX2, posted by Pamela Lynn on November 13, 2001, at 17:29:24
unsure what you mean by "pdoc." if you are interested in a specialist in drugs that affect mood, you should see a psychopharmacologist. such doctors are generally the best informed about psychotropic drugs, drug side effects and interactions and new medications. they do not typically do therapy. in the initial session, which may be longer than usual, you will generally be asked in detail about your physical health, life situation and past and current moods.
if you are primarily interested in therapy, you would want a psychiatrist -- assuming that you want to see only a medical doctor.
there is a guide that is published and, i believe, also available on the web called, i think, the castle-connelly guide to the best doctors. obviously, who these "best" doctors are, and how they are chosen, is at least somewhat subjective. it is organized by geographical area and by speciality. it's one source, in addition to word of mouth recommendations.
once you have some names, you might try doing a web search -- www.google.com is my favorite search engine at the moment, or you could use another search spider that uses google but offers more options: www.ilor.com.
i know little about medical education or certification, but a doctor who is board certified in her or his area of specialization is generally thought to be desirable. it may also be helpful to know the medical school attended and where the residency was done.
many states have web sites that provide licensing and education information on doctors licensed to practice in their state. one would hope this wouldn't be an issue, but there may be information on disciplinary action as well.
there are probably lots of consumer-oriented web sites that offer additional information and suggestions.
once a relationship has been established, some doctors might be willing to work with a patient by phone, especially one who lives in an out of the way area. i believe this web site provides some guidelines on what to look for.
and no matter what credentials a doctor has or how highly recommended he or she may be, if you don't like or feel comfortable with him or her, see someone else.
good luck.
> Once I again I concur with you JohnX2.
>
> My Psychiatrist won't even 'do' therapy with me..we chat a bit about what is going on in my life and she REFERS to my Psychologist on things pertaining to me. See...I got my Psychologist through my shrink; her and he work together for their patients. In an 'ideal world' that would be, in my opinion, the way things should go.
>
> Pamela Lynn
> > Yep, I think therapy is an excellent adjunct.
> >
> > Here are my thoughts on therapy: see a psychologist.
> > Leave the medicine to the pdoc and the head stuff
> > to a psychologist. I tried therapy with a pdoc
> > and he didn't know what he was doing. Get the people
> > who are *trained* inside-out in their field.
> >
> > my 2c.
> >
> > -john
> >
> >
> > > I agree with John wholeheartedly. I had to go through my insurance company...they gave me a list of pdoc's that were covered by my insurance, and I called ALL OF THEM and got in to the first one on my list. Thankfully she has worked out real well for me. I also think seeing a therapist might be a good step for some people out there too. Pamela Lynn
poster:svevo1922
thread:84055
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011113/msgs/84842.html