Dr. Appt. - how long is too long to wait?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spacers

Wikipedia says they are in nine states and the District of Columbia. A lot of people don't like not being able to choose a specialist, but I've never had an issue with it. And a lot of people don't realize that, even though you're assigned a PCP when you join, you can switch to anyone who has availability on their schedule.

One thing I don't like about Kaiser is the way they "do" birth. You don't get "your" OB, you get whomever is at the hospital at that day & time, and that person might leave at 8pm and you find yourself meeting someone new while you're in transition. That's why I chose homebirth with a midwife, even though I had to pay out-of-pocket for it, and why I tell anyone giving birth at Kaiser to bring a doula. :p

---

It's like that where I live; maybe all of Canada's that way. My OB didn't deliver DD and we had the gamut of staff - 2 different nurses, medical student (who performed his very first vaginal exam on me), resident OB, chief OB, regular joe doctor, heck maybe even the janitor had his hands up there too for all I know. My OB was on duty the night DS was born, but I planned that - after walking around 5cm for at least a week I was like "You are getting this kid out tonight, before you go home." A resident still did the actual hard part and a student delivered his body once the head was out. I guess they have to learn somehow!

Not all of Canada! There was never any question that my Doc would deliver my babies.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ftmom

Not all of Canada! There was never any question that my Doc would deliver my babies.

---

It's a lottery here in AB :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ClairesMommy

It's like that where I live; maybe all of Canada's that way. My OB didn't deliver DD and we had the gamut of staff - 2 different nurses, medical student (who performed his very first vaginal exam on me), resident OB, chief OB, regular joe doctor, heck maybe even the janitor had his hands up there too for all I know. My OB was on duty the night DS was born, but I planned that - after walking around 5cm for at least a week I was like "You are getting this kid out tonight, before you go home." A resident still did the actual hard part and a student delivered his body once the head was out. I guess they have to learn somehow!

---

Same for us. My doc did deliver T, but only because he happened to be on call.

To the OP, routinely waiting 2 hours is waaaaaay too long. There is a sign in both my peds office and my my OB office that says if you have been waiting longer than 15 minutes past the time of your appointment to come see the receptionist. I've never had to use either. At my PCP, the wait is typically 5-15 minutes as well, although it has been very occasionally longer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alissa_Sal

Same for us. My doc did deliver T, but only because he happened to be on call.

To the OP, routinely waiting 2 hours is waaaaaay too long. There is a sign in both my peds office and my my OB office that says if you have been waiting longer than 15 minutes past the time of your appointment to come see the receptionist. I've never had to use either. At my PCP, the wait is typically 5-15 minutes as well, although it has been very occasionally longer.

---

I just LOVE the sign that's in every clinic or doctor's office I've ever been in: "Staff abuse will not be tolerated." Well if I've been waiting 2 hours past my appt time, taken time off work, courteously made sure I was on time myself so as not to inconvenience the doctor or staff, you'd better just stay clear of me. Don't look at me, or talk to me unless you're offering up one huge a$$ apology for wrecking my entire day. Thing is, I have never ever ever received an apology if the doctor is running that late. Oh, but if I EVER no-show for an appt I get charged $25. The nerve.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ClairesMommy

I just LOVE the sign that's in every clinic or doctor's office I've ever been in: "Staff abuse will not be tolerated." Well if I've been waiting 2 hours past my appt time, taken time off work, courteously made sure I was on time myself so as not to inconvenience the doctor or staff, you'd better just stay clear of me. Don't look at me, or talk to me unless you're offering up one huge a$$ apology for wrecking my entire day. Thing is, I have never ever ever received an apology if the doctor is running that late. Oh, but if I EVER no-show for an appt I get charged $25. The nerve.

---

So true!

My worst experience was about 6 years ago. We made an appointment for the annual checkup for the girls. 3 hours later we were seen. I asked about a flu shot for all of us. They weren't in yet. They made a follow-up appointment for the sole purpose of getting the flu shot. We came back and waited for another 2 hours. When we were called back, they asked "what is the reason for your visit"? Flu shot. Well, are you XYZ? Yes. "Oh, we don't have record of that. No flu shots for you." I threw a fit! I told them they never should have made a follow-up appointment to get a flu shot if they weren't going to give it. What sent me over the edge? They billed my insurance company for the appointment. I filed a complaint on that one and never went back.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ClairesMommy

I just LOVE the sign that's in every clinic or doctor's office I've ever been in: "Staff abuse will not be tolerated." Well if I've been waiting 2 hours past my appt time, taken time off work, courteously made sure I was on time myself so as not to inconvenience the doctor or staff, you'd better just stay clear of me. Don't look at me, or talk to me unless you're offering up one huge a$$ apology for wrecking my entire day. Thing is, I have never ever ever received an apology if the doctor is running that late. Oh, but if I EVER no-show for an appt I get charged $25. The nerve.

---

Really??? My doctor always apologizes if she is late... And she is never very late. I think one time I had to wait 45 minutes and she said sorry many times. I'm liking my doc more and more!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ethanwinfield

So true!

My worst experience was about 6 years ago. We made an appointment for the annual checkup for the girls. 3 hours later we were seen. I asked about a flu shot for all of us. They weren't in yet. They made a follow-up appointment for the sole purpose of getting the flu shot. We came back and waited for another 2 hours. When we were called back, they asked "what is the reason for your visit"? Flu shot. Well, are you XYZ? Yes. "Oh, we don't have record of that. No flu shots for you." I threw a fit! I told them they never should have made a follow-up appointment to get a flu shot if they weren't going to give it. What sent me over the edge? They billed my insurance company for the appointment. I filed a complaint on that one and never went back.

---

Oh I would have been pissed. Grrr.

I apologize to the patients when a doctor is running late and 95% of the time they roll their eyes at me... Tell me I don't mean it... Or they feel like it opens up an invitation for them to start yelling at me. When the doctor walks in and apologizes, the patient that just yelled at me says, "Oh it's okay :):):) !!!"

The other 5% smile and tell me they understand and they know it's not my fault.

I actually had a guy tell me that *I* was lucky I called his name when I did because he was going to leave. He then told me the doctor has only 5 minutes to walk into his exam room. He was really rude and it really took a lot for me to stay quiet instead of telling him he can't talk to me that way. Needless to say, patients' a lot of times don't realize that most docs stick up for their staff. Guess who got skipped and had to wait even longer. The next day, my coworker said that she saw that same guy at a bar that day and he was bragging and laughing about what he said to me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ClairesMommy

I just LOVE the sign that's in every clinic or doctor's office I've ever been in: "Staff abuse will not be tolerated." Well if I've been waiting 2 hours past my appt time, taken time off work, courteously made sure I was on time myself so as not to inconvenience the doctor or staff, you'd better just stay clear of me. Don't look at me, or talk to me unless you're offering up one huge a$$ apology for wrecking my entire day. Thing is, I have never ever ever received an apology if the doctor is running that late. Oh, but if I EVER no-show for an appt I get charged $25. The nerve.

---

Wow! And you get charged for missing? I would have owed hundreds of dollars after my last pregnancy. For some reason I just couldnt remember those stupid appointments, not to mention the times the receptionist wrote down the wrong date or time for me. I think I am glad I am in BC for medical, though we do still see most of our specialists in Alberta.