Trying to find a family doctor!

[saveadollardiva]

Hi Everyone,

DH and I have been trying to find a new family doctor in our area and I have to say the search as been not to good. Either the doctors we want are not accepting new patients and the ones who are, are well....just not worth the time to visit! We have seen a few, either they are to hard or cocky (meaning show no emotion at all or act like their God) or they show way to much emotion (I am not your friend I am a patient and don't care about your personal life) or some take the more natural way of medicine (Which is good sometimes) But when one of them says they don't beileve in antibiotics at all you get kind of scared LOL.

I wonder if any of you are having the same issues I am? We have a few more appointments but I just don't want to go to a doctor just because they are the only one left and we have no choice...(I would rather go to a walk in clinic than the doctors I have seen)

The search goes on...

Thanks for listening!

[macw1960]

Good luck on your search and good luck. I refuse to give up my family doctor (he is super) even though it takes me about 1 1/2 hours to get there (we moved).
Apparently I have to give up my doctor first before I can get one local. Thank goodness I don't go that often.

[cath007]

That's not fun.I have the same familly doctor as my mother..He give me birth.So it is easy.But I hope when he will retire He will give me referalls.Altrought I wait like 30 to 45 min after my appoitement ...I am never deceive and I had no difficulty to have apointment because I am in the system...but he is overloaded.

[abbasgirl]

It's good that you at least have options. I haven't looked in awhile, but a few years ago when I really needed a doctor there were no doctors accepting new patients in my area at all.

[matty's mom]

Good luck on your search and good luck. I refuse to give up my family doctor (he is super) even though it takes me about 1 1/2 hours to get there (we moved).
Apparently I have to give up my doctor first before I can get one local. Thank goodness I don't go that often.

We have done the same both for DH and I, as well as DS. Just today, we took the GO into TO and subway up to DS' appointment. The peid that we have is so well known & respected @ Sick Kids- no one else would be the same. When DS had some health concerns as a baby, he was fantastic. The doctors that we have are top-notch(a blessing, really)- I think both they and us are worth the travel!

OP, I wish you lots of luck with your search. It is a challenge.

[matrix82]

I've been looking since May, on a citywide waiting list that I am told is about 5 years long :S.

[gourmetsue]

Scary! DH and I moved last year and we both kept our doctors in Mississauga. There is no way would I give her up even if I do have to drive an hour to get there.

[RebeccaRYoung]

Getting a family doctor is really hard in Canada. Many doctors are leaving the country because of a lack of jobs and financial help to open a practice. It doesn't seem to matter that we are having an extreme doctor shortage, the government just isn't doing anything to entice doctors to stay in the country.

[saveadollardiva]

I have a family doctor already, but me and my husband moved and she is a good distance away now. So this is why we are trying to find on closer to our area.

[nightgarden]

Yes getting a family doctor is VERY hard. I had to find a new one when my doctor retire just 2 months before my 1st baby came. We had to use my husband's family doctor for the first 3 months....but it was TOO far away. 50 mins drive and very long wait, plus the doctor never answered my questions and would make me feel stupid for asking. So I began my quest for finding a new doctor. Lots weren't accepting new patients. Went to drop-in clinics. Those doctors that were willing to accept us, I did not feel comfortable with. It took me over an year to finally find a family doctor that was acceptable. Not the best....but happy enough. Good luck. I feel your frustration.

[hollyquaiscer]

I've had the same family Dr for over 20 years. He is a good friend now, we don't talk social on his time, he's way to busy. We know each others famiily very well, and I feel very comfortable talking with him about anything, including the issues with my youngest dd. I would hate to have to find a new Dr in todays busy cities. To many patients, to little time for the Dr's. I feel bad for everyone it's a lose lose situation.

Guess it would probably best if you don't go to the Dr to often to keep your old one. If your Dr is familiar with you and your family, if something serious happens, a lot of times it's easier to diagnos as they know your entire history. Good Dr's are really hard to find. Best of luck.

[jessep13]

I dont have a family doctor at all. I had a awesome one, but she moved completly out of town. And I just havent found anyone else. Luckily I havent needed one in a while *knock on wood*, and my daughter has a pediatrician.

[EricsMom]

In the lower mainland in BC it is impossible to find a new Dr - especially a female one. We have an extreme Dr. shortage here. I had a great Dr. for 12 years and she moved to Alberta. I was lucky enough to transfer to another Dr. in her office because of my health issues. She retired in Dec with 2 months notice. There are no new Dr's wanting to buy the old Dr's practices. Most people I know don't have family Dr's out here, they just go to the same clinic all the time. It SUCKS.
That being said, I have been blessed to find an amazing new female family Dr. that I am thrilled with. If she ever moves I will follow her!

[Chantel]

I know that feeling, keep trying! The one doctor we tried before my grandma referred us to hers and he took us was this woman from the far East who moved here and doesn't grasp Western medicine I guess.

She asked me some basic questions and in less than 10 minutes told me I was actually NOT depressed and had NO anxiety problems, was overweight (at somewhere between 125-130 lbs) and a bunch of other crap. They operated out of a building that had peeling paint on the walls, unfinished rooms where the framing stuff was still visible, among other things, and made us wait AN HOUR past our appointment time in a little hallway that looked like the hall to the back room of a crack shack.

She then told us she probably wouldn't have time for us most of the time because she delivers babies, so her husband who also worked at the clinic and was also a doctor would deal with us. Um, no? Then she scheduled us all for full physicals in the 10 minutes we were there.

We never went back, needless to say.

There are some lemon doctors out there, keep your head up!

[alicia]

This worries me greatly. I've been lucky enough to live in a 30 minute radius my entire life, so I've been with the same practice as who delivered me as a baby. The Dr who delivered me retired when I was about 10, but a very nice (female!) Dr bought out his practice and patient list, so my parents didn't have to scramble to find a new Dr. I still drive the 30 minutes to see her. I intend to be moving farther away (out of province) and so there goes my security of a good family Dr.

My fiance has also had the same family Dr for his entire life, but when we move it will be much more necessary for him to have a family Dr as he has multiple health concerns and someone to actually take an interest in him rather than "oh you're the next person at the walkin clinic".