Is Your PCP an MD or a DO and how good or bad? (colonoscopy, dermatologist)

[Scooby Snacks]

I wouldn't mind seeing a D.O. or an M.D. but there aren't many D.O. docs around here. My current PCP is an M.D. but I don't care for him, so I'm searching for another. His office is very disorganised and they have dropped the ball on numerous occasions. It's rather frustrating.

I don't like seeing a P.A. or a nurse practitioner. I have several complex, chronic medical conditions, am on 8 different meds, so managing my health requires a team approach among my physicians and myself. Maybe I'm too skeptical, but I don't feel confident in a P.A. or nurse practitioner doing as good a job. And since I'm paying the same amount whether I see a doc or P.A., I'd rather see a physician.

[jaminhealth]

The D.O. I see now does gentle bodywork and I may be stopping soon as the work is flairing my OA pain more. First session was great, like my body needed it and then it didn't feel great again.
She does not want to work with rx's and general other health issues.

She's working on the daughter and both grandkids. The grandkids dog is having some funny issues and they are talking to her about seeing the dog. This D.O. works with dogs and babies and people in their 90's. Every age in between.

My old D.O. who is now gone, worked on my back for 30 yrs and he's the doctor that helped me with thyroid support, no labs, no numbers to "go by" he knew symptoms and it saved me, Armour thyroid that is. He saved me in 2002 after 10 yrs of Struggle and no help. Just numbers.

[Mikala43]

All mine are MDs. Two of my MDs are also very active in clinical trials which I like. I wouldn't mind adding a DO for balance.... I would only change my Primary Care not my specialty docs.

But I've been with her for over 20 years.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

Maybe so. I have been to a nurse practitioner (when I was pregnant) and she did a great job.

of course I was just playing with you They really are fully trained though.

[Texas Ag 93]

Generally speaking, I think an MD/DO (allopathic trained) > DO (osteopathic trained) >>IMG>>>FMG

Where an IMG is an American International Medical Graduate (the vast majority from schools previously mentioned like Ross or St. George in the Caribbean and FMG is a Foreign graduate of a foreign medical school.

But, this rule, can, and is, turned completely on its head depending on the individual practitioner, like azriverfan mentioned earlier. In my case, the new Internist I am seeing is Indian and a graduate from a training program in India. She has practiced in the U.S. for years. She is poised, polished and very good. Conversely, there are some American MD's I would never want touching me.....

[mortpes]

Know that the important element is the practical on hand real life experience the doc has in dealing with the specific symptom or problem. My wife was only weeks away from death and a variety of certified docs claimed she was good to go. The docs were so clueless it was silly.

[papichulo2]

Originally Posted by phxbarb

what do you think about these different types of physicians? My new pcp will be a do (doctor of osteopathy) and it will be the first time for me.

pcp?

[Calvert Hall '62]

My new primary is a specialist, an internist, and is next to worthless. He has given advice that conflicts directly with a kidney specialist, and the medical literature, concerning the effects of certain medicine on reabsorption of Na and K levels. He wrote a year's worth of prescriptions for two of my BP medicines and sloppily wrote a script for only nine months for the third one. He won't order regular blood chemistry for those substances which have come back as normal like the lipid panel. Hell, just because certain studies are within normal limits doesn't automatically mean they'll always be that way, especially for someone over 70. I asked him for a script for an MRI for my torn meniscus but he insisted on an x-ray which doesn't reflect anything pertaining to that particular cartilage tissue. His consults last 5-10 minutes. Oh, he's concerned with my low heart rate and ordered me to cut the beta blockers in half. I did but there's no change in HR which has always been low. I attributed it to a lifelong fitness regimen.


When he does give a physical, there's no EKG and he won't do a digital rectal exam because the PSA has always come back low. In fact, the only difference between his consults and the one physical he administered was a finger-to-nose test with the eyes shut. Wow. Big deal.


My previous primary was a non-MD-PAC. She was good, taking the time to ask questions and investigating all complaints. But she went to part-time and so they rearranged schedules. Before her was another impressive PAC but he was picked up for a promotion to a hospital job.


I suspect that he may be bitter seeing patients as a PCP instead of functioning as an internist after all that specialized training. Funny thing is that he was a dept. head in a hospital and there have been no malpractice allegations against him.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by papichulo2

pcp?

primary care physician.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by papichulo2

pcp?

PCP= Primary Care Provider/Physician. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with Generalist. For insurance purposes, a PCP is the gatekeeper you often (if not usually) must see to get a referral to a specialist.

For adults, a PCP is almost always Family Practice or Internal Medicine. For children, a PCP is a General Pediatrician. Sometimes, OB/Gyn's qualify as PCP's for Women, but I think that's become increasingly less common.

Edit: posted at same time as nmnita. Sorry.