Firing A Doctor

Hi Debbie,

You ask an excellent, important question. There are many clues that can indicate it's time to fire a doctor. Sometimes you know immediately that a doctor is not the right fit, but other times, it may take awhile. Here are some tell-tale signs that may indicate a doctor should be fired:

-- He/she doesn't return your phone calls in a timely manner (for me, this is within a day or two).
-- He/she comes to your appointment, armed with statistics printed from the Internet.
-- He/she is dismissive of your concerns.
-- Put out an emotional prompt, such as "I am scared." If the doctor is not compassionate and doesn't address your emotional needs immediately, this could be a sign he/she is not the right one for you.
-- He/she does not allow you to have a say in your own medical care.
-- He/she does not answer your questions in a way you can best understand the answers.
-- He/she interrupts you and/or scolds you, is rude, and is arrogant.
-- He/she contradicts him/herself and keeps changing his/her mind.
-- He/she doesn't listen to what you have to say.

These are just some indications that a firing is in order. I fired doctors who had a combination of several qualities. I have encountered doctors with all the aforementioned qualities. As upsetting as it is to let a doctor go, you have to make the decision to choose a doctor who is right for you.