Lake County Medical Society
CHOOSING A DOCTOR
The time to look for a doctor is before you need one, when you have the time to make a clear decision about the kind of care and the kind of physician you want. Don't wait until something goes wrong.
Merely giving a physician's name does not make that doctor yours, unless he or she has previously treated you as a patient or has verbally agreed to accept you as a patient. One way to establish yourself with a new physician is through a referral from your former physician. When you move to a new town, your present doctor may be able to recommend physicians in your new location.
Using a friend's name during your initial visit or having a friend call his or her doctor for you can often be an effective means of establishing that important first contact.
But how do you go about making the right choice? First, define for yourself what you expect from your doctor, considering care, qualifications, accessibility, and philosophy. Then check the FIND A DOCTOR box on the first page of this webpage or call THE LAKE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY REFERRAL LINE AT (440) 946-8194 and request specific information about the physician. the referral line secretary will call you back with specific information about the physicians background and training. Check the ABCs of Selecting a Physician and the ABC Checklist below for help with what kind of questions to ask.
Regardless of how you select a doctor, sometimes the relationship may be unsatisfactory to you. In that case, it might be wise to search for another physician. However, don't change doctors for trivial reasons.
EDUCATION OF A PHYSICIAN
Before physicians are allowed to practice, they undergo intense training. After finishing collage, students spend an additional four years in medical school. When they graduate, they spend more time working and studying in a hospital gaining training in patient contacts, hospital wards, emergency and operating rooms.
Virtually every medical school graduate will spend several years as a house staff physician. These house staff doctors limit their practice to the hospital in which they train and may only work under the supervision of other physicians.
A physician may choose to specialize in a particular field, such as pediatrics, which entails an additional two or more years of schooling. Alternately, some physicians, such as internists, may decide to limit their practices to one field, such as cardiology, and will take continuing education courses and spend additional years of training in that area.
To practice medicine in Ohio, a physician must graduate from an approved medical school and receive either an M.D. (medical doctor) or DO. (doctor of osteopathy) degree and pass a prescribed examination. Many fine physicians have received their training abroad, so keep that in mind.
Each specialty has a national board which is responsible for establishing criteria for excellence in that area. Such criteria include a specific number of years in practice of that specialty, and passing a comprehensive examination given by the Board. Physicians meeting all of these requirements are then deemed Board Certified. The fact that physicians are not Board Certified, however, does not indicate that they are any less competent and capable than peers who are so designated. many specialty boards require physicians to practice a set number of years after their training before they are allowed to take the board examinations. The Lake County Medical Society recognizes only those Boards approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
The ABCS of Selecting a Physician
One of the most important decisions you will make is the selection of a physician for yourself and your family. It's a decision that takes thought, work and time and it's best done before an emergency occurs. It is wise to select carefully while you are well, establish yourself with a primary care physician, get a complete physical and have a medical history on file.
Much of what makes up a good physician/patient match is personal preference. While you won't be certain you have made the right choice until you have your first office visit, as an informed consumer, you can objectively research the background and training of a physician to see if they measure up to your basic standards.
Become an informed consumer of medical care. Here is a list of questions that will get you started in the right direction toward selecting a physician.
A-
ask
B- before you
C- choose
CHECKLIST
The manner in which a physician and office personnel answer your questions tells you something about the practice itself. You may not be interested in all of the concerns listed above, but you should expect a reasonable answer to those questions which are most important to you.
