Saying nice things about a doctor.

[Nords]

I was raised by a registered nurse and subjected to two decades of military healthcare, which gives me a somewhat biased & jaded view of the medical field.

So let me go out of my way to praise a doctor.

He's in his high 40s or low 50s, very fit & very lean, no paunch or slouch, and doesn't look exhausted or burned out. Casual shirt & slacks, no lab coat or stethoscope or other doctor paraphernalia. He was actually running ahead of schedule on a late weekday afternoon. He even came out into the waiting room to pick up my records and call me back to the examining room. He said he'd come back early from lunch and thought he'd get a head start on the afternoon patients.

I asked "Do the other doctors know that you go into the waiting room by yourself to get your patients?!?" He laughed and said that he rented the room and the records storage from the clinic but that he didn't pay them for any other administrative services. He actually did his own paperwork and managed or outsourced the rest of his business.

We discussed my minor foot question and he said that there was nothing medically wrong but that they must be getting bruised or scraped up. He was interested and he asked a lot of questions without seeming to be running down a checklist. That led to a tae kwon do discussion and he admitted that he had the same symptoms with his feet from jogging. His biggest problem was that his knees & feet could no longer take the shocks. He talked about treatment options for other foot symptoms but he said that I didn't need to worry about them. He had a bunch of questions about running, stretching, tae kwon do, swimming, surfing, & yoga to the point where I seemed to be giving more advice than I was getting. He was relaxed & took his time, he said "You're fine but please call if it gets worse", and then we were done. No brusque "I'm the doctor" authoritarianism, no rushing on to the next patient, no impatience, and a manner more like a friendly mechanic or a tour guide than a medical professional. He even smiled.

I thought podiatry could be a pretty gross field but it seems to be working for this guy. It's a shame he's not a GP, but maybe being a podiatrist is why he's so happy!

[Goonie]

My family Doc is the same way. Always casual dress. Has time for some small talk, and asks the questions that need to be asked w/o a lot formalism. He's also on call and available 24/7...REALLY!!! And if your too sick or sore to be able to get to him...he'll stop by on his way home to see you...@ NO cost!!!

If you need a prescription of some sort or another, chances are pretty good that he has a bunch of free samples from the traveling pharmacuetical guy, that he'll stuff in a bag for you (free).

If something comes up (illness, ailment, etc) he can almost always squeeze you in if you drop by his office.

Up 'til about 10-12 years ago, I did NOT like doctors at all, probably because my family doctor when I was growing up was usually rude and about half in the bag most of the time. Therefore my perception of doctors was somewhat jaded. BUT, this guy is GREAT!!!

(My new dentist is the same way....the old one was a putz with an attitude)

[Patrick]

You made that up, right?

[Goonie]

Originally Posted by Patrick

You made that up, right?

Ummm.....NOPE!

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Goonie

Ummm.....NOPE!

I was replying to NORDS' post and apparently your post snuck in there first. Well, I'm glad you guys have found some good doctors. I'm still looking.

[Rich_in_Tampa]

Nords,

Wish your podiatrist were an MD - at least we could add one to the list of good guy physicians.

Alas, podiatrists are a separate profession, have their own degree (DPM) and their own schools. He sounds like a credit to his profession, regardless. Nice to hear.

[Brat]

Years ago I saw a podiatrist at Kaiser in Portland. She did a wonderful job on my foot remodel. Until that time I didn't know they performed surgery.

[Martha]

I find it very odd that podiatry is its own profession. How can you know about just the foot? Why would you want to know just about the foot? Whatever.

My doc is good. She started working part time years ago when her kids were young and now even though they are grown and out of the house she hasn't moved to fulltime. She will spend as much time with you as you need to answer questions.

Last time I saw her I mentioned that I felt like I was not as "intellectually limber" as I once was (I think I used the word stupider). She said that she always intended on continuing to practice medicine so long as she got a better result on her state boards each time she took them. Then a couple of years ago she didn't do better. So she changed her mind.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by Patrick

You made that up, right?

Nope-- with the exception of Rich's example, I'm as surprised as you are!

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa

Wish your podiatrist were an MD - at least we could add one to the list of good guy physicians.

I'll be darned. I thought podiatrists were just another branch like OB/GYN, proctologists, urologists, and so on. I always have to look up phsychologists/psychiatrists and optometrists/opthamologists too.

I'll make another nomination-- our child's pediatrician. She's simultaneously the most articulate and down-to-earth person, let alone doctor, I've ever met. It's a pleasure to watch her switch syntax from explaining things to an eight-year-old and then using the six-syllable words with the grownups. Always on time, extremely efficient, always willing to talk but will quickly refer you to a specialist when she leaves her circle of competence.

She even obtained special permission from her building manager to keep her two Bichon dogs in the office. You can imagine which pediatrician the kids want to visit...