This morning I arrived early and eager at my doctor’s office for my annual physical. Early because that’s the best way of guaranteeing the doctor will be on time; for, as the day wears on, my experience has been that any doctor tends to get behind. This patient needs an extra five minutes here, that one needs ten there. If you’ve got a late afternoon appointment, you better bring a good book.
I was eager, not to see my doctor, but to get it over with, another reason for an early morning rendezvous that always includes prodding and poking after undressing and — oh, yes — the weight recording. I wasn’t going to ruin a perfectly good day looking forward to being checked over.
I have some theories about physicians and their practices, theories that have nothing to do with accreditation or bedside manner or even medical skill, although those are definitely all valuable criteria. However, those other things being equal, I think you can also choose a doctor by his or her office dйcor.
I’ve found that the more accoutrements the doctor has in the outer office, the more time you are apt to wait. If there is a coat rack, a water fountain, a mountain of current magazines, and comfy chairs . . . beware. You’re there for the duration. However, if the office is Spartan, it seems to mean you won’t be sitting there long. I’ve gone to doctors all my life; and, on the basis of personal experience, this is Axiom Number One.
Axiom Number Two revolves around time. My present physician is the first one ever to ask me to sign a paper that I would show up on time and that if I missed three appointments without letting his office know he could choose to terminate me from his practice. At my first meeting with him, I asked if he was equally committed to seeing me on time, as I’ve had physicians who think an hour’s wait adds extra importance to their examinations.
He assured me he made every effort to be on time, although he allowed that there could be mitigating circumstances. I’m not unreasonable about his; after all, if I were the mitigating circumstance, I’d want my doctor’s attention and I’d want it NOW. So I signed the paper and joined his fold.
In the four years I’ve gone to Dr. S., I’ve been kept waiting only once. That’s a pretty good record. And, when I approached the reception area to complain that I’d scheduled another appointment that I would now be late for, I was moved to the front of the line. Doctor personally came and got me from the waiting room. Which, for the record, has no coat rack, no water cooler, and no magazine rack.
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