A Guide To Finding A Doctor You Feel Comfortable With

By Melissa Lobo | July 26, 2023

Do you feel like your current doctor doesn’t really give you the care you need? Maybe the ownership of the practice you visit has changed, and now the feel of the whole service has erupted into chaos? Maybe you just want to see what other doctors are out there? No matter your reasoning for visiting this guide, we’ve got the tips to help! 

Because you need to feel comfortable when you visit the doctor. You need to feel seen and heard, and like you’re going to get the kind of treatment you’re entitled to. Whether you’re out here for a cosmetic surgeon or you want to see a family or general practitioner, you need to establish the relationship between you off on the right foot. 

And the better you know how to get a sense of the medical professional in front of you, the easier it’ll be to feel comfortable when you need to talk to them. So keep the points down below in mind if you’re currently on the lookout!

Do You Have to Go Far to See Them?

The doctor you want to rely on is someone in your local area. So, if you have to go far to see your physician of choice, they’re probably not the best professional for you. Even if the practice is amazing and you’ve only heard good things, you don’t want to be inconveniencing yourself this much whenever you have a medical issue. 

You want the person who can provide treatment to be nearby; a simple car ride away is fine, but if you’re going hours to see someone, things just aren’t going to work out in the long run! Always put the comfort of your life before anything else. 

Do You Like Their Attitude When First Walking in?

This is about the impression you get when you first visit the practice in question. What does it feel like walking in? Is there a ‘good vibe’ in the air? Of course most medical offices aren’t going to feel good to be in, simply because you’re there to talk about health issues, but does it seem comfortable as you’re waiting in there? 

From the way you’re greeted by a receptionist, to how long it takes for you to be called, to how easy it is to book in for another appointment, take stock of how things work. You want to be sure the service you get is at least decent, and while a few delays and off days are fine, you don’t want them to be commonplace when you’re trying to see the doctor. 

Do You Feel Heard?

Now we move onto the actual appointment itself. When you’re talking to the doctor, does it seem like you can really talk to them as they listen? Do you feel rushed, or like your questions about your symptoms don’t matter? Do they take down your concerns, or does it feel like they just want to prescribe you something and get you to leave? 

This is a common problem in the medical community at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you need to expect it. And if you want to talk about something quite serious, that you’re actually rather scared about, you should absolutely expect your doctor to take you seriously. If you find they’re reluctant to test further, it could be another red flag.

How Good is Their Bedside Manner?

Bedside manner describes the way the doctor acts towards you, outside of the initial appointment. If you have to come back time and time again to continue treatment or get further tests done, do you feel like you’re being treated with respect and dignity? 

For example, if you get angry or frustrated in the appointment, do you feel the team is responding in the way you need? Say you’d like extra clarification about something, or you need them to walk you through what’s going on; do they respond to the emotions surrounding the issue in an appropriate manner? 

This doesn’t mean you can act any way you want, but it does mean that the person supposed to care for you needs to see and understand the turmoil you could be going through.

Do You Feel Well Informed?

If you can’t get valuable information out of your doctor, no matter what you do, they might not have the bedside manner that’s right for you. 

Say you want to see a doctor about a chronic pain issue. Maybe you’re willing to try any kind of therapy or medication? When you head into their office, and you’ve sat down in front of the Ketamine Treatment Doctor, do you feel like they’ve given you all the information you need? 

So they want to try a Ketamine treatment and feel it would be beneficial, but have they explained why it would be good for you? And do you feel like you’re able to ask questions and get the answers you need? If not, it might be in your best interests to find a physician elsewhere. 

Can You Complain if There’s a Problem?

Problems occur all the time in the medical world. Maybe a prescription was lost or not put through in a relevant time? Maybe a doctor said something rude to you, and you’d like to take the issue higher? If anything like this happens, is there a proper complaints procedure in place you can follow? 

You can find this out before you head there in person. Check the website of the practice itself, and even check out the board they’re signed up with. If you see no information on how to talk about an issue with conduct, it could be a bad sign. And if you’re unlikely to hear anything from a higher power when a medical professional has made a mistake or treated you improperly, you definitely don’t want to be on the list as one of their patient’s!

Finding a doctor you feel comfortable with needn’t be complicated. Follow these steps for success.