Choosing a doctor: You think your current one is lousy, do you tell them why, or just get a different one?

Find another doctor you like who will accept you as a patient. Try him out several times; if it is a good match; write a short, courteous and specific letter to your former Doc. He probably won’t give a rat’s ass, but you never know.

Oh, geez, I’d definitely let him know the problem. I’d send him a letter explaining exactly what the problem was. Tell him you’re going somewhere else and why.

If I were in your situation, I’d probably speak up to the doctor first. It sounds like you may have done that. I’m not sure I’d bother telling him; if you’ve had the discussion, he hasn’t changed, and you switch to another doctor, if he cares, he has enough information to figure it out.

I have done that. It was limited in effectiveness. He was at least slightly more courteous to me.

I would send a polite letter with concrete details to the practice manager. If it’s a group practice, as most are these days, the upper management takes this stuff pretty seriously. Care providers usually get called in for a discussion, and if management gets enough patient feedback with consistent complaints, they take “remedial action”.

Yes. I’ve had a crappy doctor before. (She was too silly and childlike, or at least that’s what it seemed like to me. Please don’t talk to me like I’m 9, because I’m not.)
I told someone that I was looking for a new doctor and they set me up with a great new doctor. When they switched me, they asked what the reasons were for the switch. I told them honestly. I never told the old doctor directly, but I’m assuming it got back to her somehow.

I think the right thing to do in general would be to tell them – feedback and all that. And if they talk back they deserve a verbal beating.

That said, I would of course never do that since I’m somewhat afraid of confrontations and want people to like me unreservedly. Giving negative feedback feels like the person on the receiving end instantly will dislike me, and then I will feel bad and they will hate me even more. I got some problems here.

I’m having the same issue with my doctor. She just doesn’t seem to care. She shrugs everything off. But I’m in such a small town that finding another doctor nearby would be tough.

@Cartman: The cardinal rule is that you always get to dominate your professional help. If you pay the bills, they work for you.

If you don’t like face-to-face confrontations, write a short and clear letter.

Maybe I’m lucky, but I’ve only had one doctor that I truly disliked. Some that I was neutral about.

The jerk was just like an assembly line. Treat ‘em and street ‘em.

The really good ones would take a minute and teat you like a person. My current doctor is a really good one.

But to answer your question, I’d tend to just not go back. After all, if they were going to listen or pay attention, they would have already.