Posted by bleauberry on July 30, 2008, at 20:08:43
In reply to Re: thinking of firing my PDOC- scared » bleauberry, posted by thinkingitover on July 29, 2008, at 21:33:58
For screening questions, they should be specific to what concerns you. For example, does the doctor routinely prescribe benzos? If not, or if at a minimum, you don't want that doc, right? Can you get an appointment squeezed in on a moment's notice if you're having a lot of trouble with your new med? That's important. If the doc is too booked up, that's not good for you. Is the doctor easy to reach? Does he return calls the same day? Does the doctor have experience with treatment resistant patients? Does the doctor follow common psychiatric guidelines, or does he also engage in off-label experimentation? The last thing you need is someone who follows a rigid boxed in strategy without any creativity. Can you please recommend a pdoc who you refer your most difficult patients to? That's a real good one. The answer to that will give you a clue as to whether they can handle the difficult ones or not, and if not, who can. Could also ask for a name of someone who is especially gifted a psychopharmacology.
It might be a good idea to just think about it deeply as often as you can and figure out for yourself, what is your ultimate perfect pdoc? Then design questions to determine if the one your are screening is that person or not.
You will probably get a receptionist. If they are unwilling or unable to get you hooked up to the actual pdoc in a few days, well, that doesn't speak very well of that doc, does it? Probably don't want that one. Too busy. Too uncaring. Not a good businessperson. Too unorganized. Something.
Expect a lot of dead ends. That's ok. Those are the duds you just saved yourself from getting involved with. But somewhere along the line, someone will impress you. Someone will refer a name. Something will happen. But without forward determined strategic motion, nothing will happen other than drifting in the wind and landing in some docs office you know very little about.
Your mental health is way too important to take lightly. We are our own best doctor, by taking the steps to find our own very best doctor within a field of me-toos and duds.
poster:bleauberry
thread:842848
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080727/msgs/843135.html