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When possible I book the very first appointment of the day. My knee doctor is always running very late, so that's what I started doing and it's worked out very well.
I know that overbooking is an issue at some practices. Lots of patients flake out on their appointments and because of this, at some practices doctors are required to overbook their clinic so that there's as little downtime as possible. On the days when everyone DOES show up, the schedule becomes a huge mess.
I always phone the doctor's office an hour before my appointment and ask if she's running behind. Once, I had an 11:30 appointment and discovered later that my doctor went to lunch at 12 and kept me waiting till 12:45 till she got back from lunch. I know doctors have to eat but it didn't make me feel good that her morning appointments ran into her lunch hour and I never actually got my lunch at all.
Doctors overbook all the time. I also don't believe they are at all concerned or bothered that our time is as valuable as theirs. I think many of them feel incredibly superior to the rest of us - try calling your doctor by his or her first name. We call our accountants and lawyers by their first names, why not doctors too? Anyway I need to stop my doctor rant sorry. It can get quickly out of control!
I don't believe those stories for a minute. I think they are politically motivated. I know too many doctors who live in more-than-comfortable homes, own multiple luxury automobiles, have their kids in private school, have country club memberships, and even own the buildings they work in. Certainly there ARE doctors who are not in the lap of luxury, but if so, they have CHOSEN to work at public clinics, teach, insist in working in over-saturated areas or specialties, or make some other choice that keeps them from earning what competent physicians are capable of netting in the U.S. today. I applaud people who aren't in medicine for the money but they are in a minority and they have options, unlike people in many other professions.
While I was with my doctor in the room, he took a cell from his mechanic as his porche broke down that morning. Totally rude!
I waited and waited..........then, 1 hours past my scheduled appointment the doctor tells me it would be another 45 minutes. Haha, he was pretty PI**ED when I told he I was leaving.
I know that overbooking is an issue at some practices. Lots of patients flake out on their appointments and because of this, at some practices doctors are required to overbook their clinic so that there's as little downtime as possible. On the days when everyone DOES show up, the schedule becomes a huge mess.
No, they aren't REQUIRED to. They CHOOSE to, so they can rake in all the money they think they deserve. If that inconveniences their patients, they don't care.
I know that overbooking is an issue at some practices. Lots of patients flake out on their appointments and because of this, at some practices doctors are required to overbook their clinic so that there's as little downtime as possible. On the days when everyone DOES show up, the schedule becomes a huge mess.
Then they should have a policy that you have to pay for the appointment......whether you show up or not......and strictly enforce it.
It is not right to punish everyone for the actions of a few.
Last time I did that (leave after waiting for over an hour to be seen) I got fired from that doctor's office! How freakin RUDE of them! No common sense.
I guess he was not happy with a peon that didn't know his place.
The physician god complex is alive and well.
I never walked out because then I would have had to use two personal days instead of one.....but I sure as hell found another doctor.
Did the same when I had to take my father to the doctor.......if the waits were too long......found another doctor.
I will tolerate once in a blue moon......but if a long wait is a common occurrence? No way.
I can wait an hour or more with my doctor or i can be in and out quickly it all depends on what amount of time he devotes to patients he sees before me, some are quick some are slow.
My method to get around potential long waits is schedule my appointments to be the first patient of the day.
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sorry. It can get quickly out of control!
