Advice needed: Dr’s office

Post Reply New Topic

I need some advice on how to handle a situation with my doctor’s office. I am really not comfortable with my current doctor and have tried on a few separate occasions to switch to a different doctor but have been shut down by the receptionists each time. It turns out that no one wants to see my doctor so they put in place some rules so that new people get stuck with her. I suspect she’s working in a remote community after graduating med school to take advantage of our government’s policy to pay off your student loans. I’m horrible at being assertive and I hate conflict but I haven’t been to the doctor in 2 years. Part of the problem is that I’m not sure who to even talk to about my problem. I don’t know if the receptionists can switch me to a different doctor or if I have to talk to whoever made this dumb policy. Also I’m not sure what to say about why I need to switch doctors, I don’t know which information is relevant.

Some of the issues with my doctor:
I saw her when I had horrible gut dysbiosis and extreme fatigue and a ton of other symptoms. She wouldn’t listen to me, I didn’t even get to tell her my symptoms and she just wouldn’t stop trying to convince me that I was depressed. I told her I’d experienced depression in the past and this wasn’t depression but she wouldn’t stop and I left her office in tears. On other occasions she’s talked down to me, rolled her eyes at me and made snap decisions about me that were just plain wrong. We obviously cannot communicate effectively with each other. I basically have no respect for her at this point and refuse to see her again. On the plus side, in the 2 years that I’ve been without a conventional doctor I’ve been working with a naturopath and we’ve fixed all of my health issues that the other doctors had given up on.

If anyone has any advice I would be very grateful.

The laws/regulations may be different where you are, but in the US you don't have to give any reason to change physicians; you can just say "I prefer to see someone else" -- if they try to question you further or refuse, that is inappropriate and should be reported, perhaps to the health organization that runs the practice. (There's so much variation it's hard to give a general rule.) But if the MD is behaving as you say, you should just refuse to see that person. "I don't have to give you a reason; please assign me to a different doctor." (And you certainly don't have to notify the MD you are leaving; you just request a different person in your next appointment through the office.)

If the practice has a website or email address, it might be easier to put your request in that way. Then you have documentation of it (and their reply), and you can just keep repeating a one-line message -- "No, I wish to see someone else."

Can you go to a different doctors office that is not affiliated with the office you were going to

If you are seeing an ND, why do you think you need to see an MD also?

You can't change doctors in Canada?????

I changed doctors because the last one I had before my current doctor referred to my backside as my "bottom". He was of course, a grown man and I'm also a grown man. It weirded me out to the point that I never went back to him. That's all it took. I'm surprised in the same appointment that he didn't say he needed to check my wee wee.....

What would you have preferred he call it?

That would be my thought.

Is it not possible to change hospitals or clinics?

The psychiatrist had the nerve to ask me mandated reporter screening questions eight times in one hour

So I told the doctor I want a different psychiatrist

Doctor said there are closer psychiatrists, to my house

But that is a low standard

Not demanding respect


If I don't have a different psychiatrist, I am still not going to that one

My partner attended counselling over his almost deadly accident caused by a seizure and he only did one session as the counsellor turned around and said to him when he said that he felt depressed over his seizures affecting him that he needs to be grateful he has a good job and he's alive.

He wasn't trying to fish for pity he just wanted to talk about his feelings now we just have the couple's counselling which is helping us both.

There is one GP I avoid like simply cause she's horrible and made a comment about my lady area when I needed help down there.

For things like a PAP exam and routine blood work. I don’t have a ton of money to order specialty tests through my ND.

I live in a tiny, remote community. There is only 1 doctor’s office, my only other option is to not have a doctor which is what I’ve been doing. Errr I get frustrated when there are grown up things I should be able to handle but instead I get stuck.

I am not sure that is a correct statement. According to a quick search on the Internet, it appears that you can change doctors (at least in the Province of Ontario).

I am in the process of doing the same thing (changing family doctor) and, if you live in Ontario, the process is the following:
You have to call Service Ontario at 1-866-532-3161 and request to de-enroll from your current family doctor.
They ask you questions to confirm your identity and the name of current doctor, and they confirm that they put all information in. Then you wait to receive a letter of confirmation in the mail.
Meanwhile, it would be wise to start searching for a new doctor, if you do have preferences, i.e. close to home, gender, etc.
After you receive the letter from Service Ontario, you call Health Care Connect at 1-800-445-1822, and you ask them to get you the new family doctor.
If you didn't find someone you would like, they can do that for you.
If you did find someone, you tell them the name of the doctor you want and they will fax your information to the doctor's office, who will contact you for an appointment.
I know it could seem like a daunting process, but if you really want to get rid of the current doctor, you'd better get to it. I have been postponing this for almost a year, but now I started it and already feel much better. I decided I won't have another annual check-up at my current doctor, so I'll do everything in my power to make that happen.

This link was from 2011, so the process may have changed a little. Also there appears to be a charge for records transfer.

leahbear, the fact that you are in a tiny, remote community may really limit you.