Doctors and waiting...C'mon

Buckle up because I'm on a mini rant about physicians and poor customer service.  A week or so ago I had an appointment for my annual with my allergist.  I won't reveal her name to protect the guilty but let's just say her initials are Barbara Baxter, MD.  I made a rule for myself a long time ago as a health professional, that I wasn't waiting on any body except God, for longer than 30 minutes, and doctors are clearly NOT God, despite what they may think.  And I've walked out of my share of appointments, to the absolute shock of a few doctors and their office staff.  Anywho, because I was reading a very good book, I broke my own rule and after an hour and fifteen minutes, out I went.  The dumb receptionist didn't realize I hadn't even been seen until I told her to send me back my co-pay, and walked out.  She liketa died. 

As a nurse, I've worked in my fair share of offices and I know what goes on and why stuff happens, and I'm not a total hard ass if they have an emergency and they communicate that to me.  But if they or their doctor is just d***ing around, see my smoke, baby.  I used to work for a guy, eons ago, who was the typical old style country doctor who ran as much as two hours late because he let his patients talk forever.  And he was slow as molasses in January.  They all knew he ran late, still came, and then griped at me about it.  I was young and stupid back them and thought maybe I could hustle him along, a little, and it worked for awhile until I finally realized I just was not going to make a dragster out of an old VW bus.  So, I found another job.

The reality is, as a society we've become so accustomed to poor service in  doctors offices that we just put up with it.  If we grumble, it's to the wrong people--the office staff.  They can't do squat if it's the doctor that thinks his/her time is more important than yours, simply because they took the Hippocratic oath.  It isn't and don't buy that hubris.  If the staff is lousy, haul a** because the last thing most doctors want to deal with is office issues like staff.  Do yourself a favor and cut to the chase.  If you aren't happy, take your business elsewhere that your insurance allows.  There actually are some really well run offices where the doctors actually do run reasonably on time and can actually communicate if there's a problem, giving you options to reschedule. 

I'll be seeing Dr. Gary Gross Wednesday.  He's my new allergist.