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My doctor is the first one that has actually listened to what I have to say. She had no problem going around my anti-depressant-hating mother to make sure I got the treatment I needed. She admits that while there are things I can be doing to lose weight, my weight isn't entirely my fault. She gets as much as she can done for me in each appointment because she knows I have to drive three hours one way just to see her. She's always happy to see me, greets me with a hug, etc.
Her staff, on the other hand...
The office my doctor practices in is a combination pediatric and adult provider. Meaning, they get literally all sorts of people as patients. I've been a patient at this office since... sometime when I was in high school. I'm almost out of college. So while I haven't been a patient there my entire life, I've been a patient there for a while. I've noticed the same things about the staff each time: if you look like you're older than 50, the parent of a small child, or a small child, the receptionists are happy/friendly/whatever. Me, my sister, random teenage guy who was in the office the one time? They're... curt but professional. I find that a lot of people treat this particular age group this way. I just kinda roll my eyes (but not actually at them) and continue on.
I went in for an appointment in October to check out some odd symptoms (extreme fatigue, lack of appetite, etc), so my doctor ordered some bloodwork. The medical assistant/nurse/whatever function she serves called me with my results (which my mother had already picked up from the lab, but I thought it was cool they called to make sure I knew what was up.) Apparently she was supposed to tell me that I was supposed to come back in to see my doctor for a follow-up. I didn't know this until I called to get a referral to a gastro doctor and the person in charge of referrals told me that I didn't need a referral (insurance didn't require it, but this particular specialist did) but that I ABSOLUTELY NEEDED to come back in and see my GP. Whatever. I'd be home when I'd be home, it's not like I can take a day off of class and work, y'know?
Doctors' offices have weird hours that unfortunately aren't convenient for me. I don't fault them for this. Their primary focus isn't college students. So naturally, there is close to no time that I can call to schedule an appointment between training for the promotion I got last month, a full courseload, and all the other stuff that comes with life. The only during-the-day time I can call is over their hour-and-a-half lunch break or Friday afternoon after they've closed. They've FINALLY added a new feature to their phone tree: leave a message to schedule an appointment, and if it's during the day they'll call you back. After hours? They'll call you first thing in the morning. Awesome, right?
I called Monday at around 9 a.m. Not after hours, but I'd imagine probably a busy time. So I left a voicemail with my name, the name of my doctor, and my request for an appointment the next day. Fast forward to... Tuesday, 9 a.m. They haven't returned my call. And while I am an adult who can make her own doctor appointments, I knew that calling back wouldn't do anything. Plus, I was tired and in pain and would not have been pleasant. So I asked my mom to call and try to get me a same-day appointment ('cuz I had to be back up at school the next day for work and thus had no other recourse for seeing my doctor). Oh, they answered for her. They didn't respond when she commented about how my call had not been returned. I'd normally chalk it up to just having been missed in the busy day-to-day functions of an office, except that they had no response when my mom called them out on it.
The appointment went well, though. I got the scrip refills I needed and FINALLY got the results of a test I had done a month ago (the staff at my gastro doctor has been dropping the ball about getting those back to me.)
So yeah. Thanks for listening to me rant.
Her staff, on the other hand...
The office my doctor practices in is a combination pediatric and adult provider. Meaning, they get literally all sorts of people as patients. I've been a patient at this office since... sometime when I was in high school. I'm almost out of college. So while I haven't been a patient there my entire life, I've been a patient there for a while. I've noticed the same things about the staff each time: if you look like you're older than 50, the parent of a small child, or a small child, the receptionists are happy/friendly/whatever. Me, my sister, random teenage guy who was in the office the one time? They're... curt but professional. I find that a lot of people treat this particular age group this way. I just kinda roll my eyes (but not actually at them) and continue on.
I went in for an appointment in October to check out some odd symptoms (extreme fatigue, lack of appetite, etc), so my doctor ordered some bloodwork. The medical assistant/nurse/whatever function she serves called me with my results (which my mother had already picked up from the lab, but I thought it was cool they called to make sure I knew what was up.) Apparently she was supposed to tell me that I was supposed to come back in to see my doctor for a follow-up. I didn't know this until I called to get a referral to a gastro doctor and the person in charge of referrals told me that I didn't need a referral (insurance didn't require it, but this particular specialist did) but that I ABSOLUTELY NEEDED to come back in and see my GP. Whatever. I'd be home when I'd be home, it's not like I can take a day off of class and work, y'know?
Doctors' offices have weird hours that unfortunately aren't convenient for me. I don't fault them for this. Their primary focus isn't college students. So naturally, there is close to no time that I can call to schedule an appointment between training for the promotion I got last month, a full courseload, and all the other stuff that comes with life. The only during-the-day time I can call is over their hour-and-a-half lunch break or Friday afternoon after they've closed. They've FINALLY added a new feature to their phone tree: leave a message to schedule an appointment, and if it's during the day they'll call you back. After hours? They'll call you first thing in the morning. Awesome, right?
I called Monday at around 9 a.m. Not after hours, but I'd imagine probably a busy time. So I left a voicemail with my name, the name of my doctor, and my request for an appointment the next day. Fast forward to... Tuesday, 9 a.m. They haven't returned my call. And while I am an adult who can make her own doctor appointments, I knew that calling back wouldn't do anything. Plus, I was tired and in pain and would not have been pleasant. So I asked my mom to call and try to get me a same-day appointment ('cuz I had to be back up at school the next day for work and thus had no other recourse for seeing my doctor). Oh, they answered for her. They didn't respond when she commented about how my call had not been returned. I'd normally chalk it up to just having been missed in the busy day-to-day functions of an office, except that they had no response when my mom called them out on it.
The appointment went well, though. I got the scrip refills I needed and FINALLY got the results of a test I had done a month ago (the staff at my gastro doctor has been dropping the ball about getting those back to me.)
So yeah. Thanks for listening to me rant.
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