How does one find a good MD.?

[BwanaDik]

Hate to get political. Big no no. But if Government health care is passed, you can forget about finding a "good" doctor.

If we get Universal Health Care, the good doctors will still be out there, as well as the bad ones. Unfortunately, you're going to wait a lot longer to see any doctor. The reasons are political and thus not suitable for discussion here, but I've lived in a county with UHC and there is a lot of waiting in line.

+1

 

[TheAxeman]

I went in this morning to my opthamologist (who recently stopped doing surgery) and asked him specific questions about specific doctors and I was quite surprised at how forthcoming he was about discussing various Dr's attitudes both in and out of the operating room, who was good and who was bad. It was quite enlightening actually. I kind of thought that MD's were a tight bunch, like cops, that didn't kiss and tell. He went so far as telling me not to use a specific surgeon because he "yells and throws instruments" when something isn't going exactly as planned. :blink: Coincidentally, that is the same thing I have seen mechanics do.

When I asked him why he stopped doing surgery, he told me because of medical malpractice insurance costs. He was doing about 400 surgery's a year. When he first started doing them 20 years ago they would get 3-4K dollars per surgery and their insurance was about 20K a year. Now his insurance has gone to 70K per year and by next year they will be getting about 300-400 dollars per surgery. To long a payback before he reaps the benefits so he gave it up.

So, now I know that EOM is out for sure. I don't get to see the surgeon until late August and then it is a 1-1/2 to 2 month wait for an operating room after that! Just call me Mr. Magoo.

 

[ionbeam]

...I don't get to see the surgeon until late August and then it is a 1-1/2 to 2 month wait for an operating room after that...

Is there something more than just cataracts? Helen went to a walk-in clinic where Dr. Kellan did his thing, and was back out in less than half a day. She received an injection of *feel good deluxe* and anesthetic & sterilization eye drops. Her only restrictions were to limit activities for the first day and don't do anything that would jar her head for the next few days. There was some delay because they had to measure her eyes and get the correct lenses.

 

[juniorfjr]

I know of a few good surgeons that I work with here, but a bit out of your area. Typically, most good ophthamologists are very busy now. With the increasing baby boomers, the line is getting longer.

As you said, our typical m.o. is a cataract evalutation appt. then surgery scheduled. You will come back a day after the surgery, then a 1 week follow up and a final exam at 4 to 5 weeks after surgery. It takes that much time for the eye to heal completely and get a final refraction. Most today come out without any post operative correction, except readers, but there are exceptions.

Go with who your ophthamologist reccomended, he should know. Look for a Dr. who has been at it a while, but not the one who learned from Moses. There is fine mix between experience and education.

good luck

 

[TheAxeman]

Go with who your ophthamologist reccomended, he should know. Look for a Dr. who has been at it a while, but not the one who learned from Moses. There is fine mix between experience and education.

Funny you should say that because that is exactly what the opthamologist said. Older Doc's can get a little "shaky" evidently.