I feel very honored to be writing today’s guest blog post for Dr. Christofides. She’s an incredible doctor with an incredible staff, so I was ecstatic that she asked me to contribute.
My name is Jenni and I’m a military spouse and a stay at home mom to two boys; Jackson is five and Alex is three. I met Dr. Christofides when my youngest was four months old and I got a referral to endocrinology from my PCM for some thyroid-related symptoms I was having. After calling every endocrinologist on the list my insurance gave me within a 50-mile radius, I found ONE who happened to have one canceled appointment sooner than three months out. I saw him and was immediately unimpressed. He was intent on treating my thyroid symptoms while ignoring the fact that it would mean weaning my four-month-old son, which was something I did NOT want to do. The next day I extended my search to 100 miles and found Dr. C. And that’s the day I won the doctor-search lottery.
In the following, I’ll compare what a typical doctor does and how they operate to how an awesome doctor does so. I will also include a brief explanation for each comparison. Let’s begin with my initial doctor search.
Typical: Three-to-four month wait for initial appointment.
Awesome: Initial appointment available within a week.
Explanation: Sometimes when your PCM tells you that you have some scary-sounding disease, waiting four months to talk to a specialist in the field is enough to make a person go a little insane.
Typical: Here, fill out this form. I’ll diagnose and treat you based on your responses. I’m much too busy to take he time to talk directly to you about your symptoms. Be as brief as possible and fit your answers on to this tiny line.
Awesome: Fill out this form so I know where to start when I ask you questions, but lets have a conversation about it, so you can elaborate.
Explanation: One conversation started with Dr. C. asking me, “So, what’s up?" My response of, "Not much… well, my periods are a little wonky,” led to more involved questions, labs, follow-up labs based on the results of the first set, and ended with a diagnosis of Acromegaly, a very rare disease. To this day I swear she has a crystal ball on her desk because I do not know how we got a rare diagnosis out of that conversation. Which leads to…
Typical: Let me focus on one symptom and teat that then move on to the next symptom and treat that one. Surely the 18 symptoms you have aren’t related.
Awesome: Every symptom is a piece of the puzzle. The more symptoms you have, the more complex the puzzle, but it also means there are more pieces to that puzzle.
Explanation: Ever seen Dr. House? I swear Dr. C is he in real life, only better.
Typical: Google? Did you take your doctor something medical that you GOOGLED?! Major patient foul!
Awesome: You googled something? Great! That tells me you are interested in what’s wrong with you, you’re doing research on your own, and you’re just as committed to finding a diagnosis and treatment as I am. Let’s discuss what you found.
Explanation: A great doctor encourages a patient to be fully involved in their diagnosis, treatment, symptom management, etc. A knowledgeable patient is a HELP to a doctor willing to listen, not a hindrance nor annoyance.
Typical: I am better than you because I went to school for a long time to learn what I know. You are an underling and that grants me the right to talk to you as if you’re a moron.
Awesome: Your doctor realizes they are human just like you. There is no condescension. Only conversation.
Explanation: Self-explanatory.
Typical: I hope you talk quickly and spew your question out in the first 45 seconds I’m in the room, because I have exactly eight minutes until my next appointment/lunch/end of the day.
Awesome: If our chat spills over into my lunchtime, I’ll check on you after labs are drawn between bites of my sandwich (on gluten-free bread of course). Staying late is okay, too and we schedule plenty of time for each patient so no one is rushed.
Explanation: It’s not all about the money, and how many patients you can cram into a day.
Typical: You leave the office and think of that one thing you forgot to ask. Oh well, better write it down and hope you don’t forget it at your next appointment, because you are NOT getting a hold of me now. You must come to the office so I can bill your insurance for an appointment if you have questions.
Awesome: E-mail me or call the office and leave a message (or send a Facebook message). I’ll respond.
Explanation: It’s not all about the money; patient care trumps all. When I spoke to a new PCM after I moved about the way my care had been working while living in Japan, she actually said, “So is this endocrinologist you’re talking about a family friend, or….?” She couldn’t fathom that level of patient care without some sort of strange reasoning.
Typical: Does your doctor have Facebook or Twitter? Who knows? If they do, it’s set to super-secret-private, do-not-let-any-patients-see-this, level. If you happen to find it, asking a question will probably get you blocked for life.
Awesome: Not only does your doctor have Twitter and Facebook, but they friend and follow you. And comment on your posts and respond to your comments on theirs; like an actual relationship. And welcome your questions.
Explanation: Dr. C. and I are both runners. One time she posted a problem, and I gave her a solution that worked for her. And she thanked me. This relationship goes both ways.
Typical: Red tape, red tape, and more red tape
Awesome: The patient comes first. If it doesn’t make sense, don’t do it. If it makes sense, do it. This includes communication, prescription writing, etc. No, “It’s against our policy,” or, “I just don’t do that.”
Explanation: If your doctor won’t help you out (within reason) with a medical issue, why are you seeing/paying them? You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops, leave six messages, send three faxes, request at least 14 days in advance, and go through the pharmacy (because heaven forbid that you, the lowly patient, be able to call the doctor’s office to request that your doctor do something for you) just to get a prescription refilled. Although, don’t expect to call the office at 4:05 on Friday and have it called in to the pharmacy instantly because you ran out yesterday and didn’t bother to plan ahead.At.All. She probably would still rather stay late on a Friday to get your meds called in than have you go without for three days; but come on, let’s not take advantage of her awesomeness.
Typical: You’re a patient, identified by a file number or social security number.
Awesome: You’re a patient, but also a PERSON. Your file is pulled up by name and date of birth, but conversations end by using your nickname instead of your legal patient name (i.e., Jenni instead of Jennifer).
Explanation: Dr. C. and the office staff know you and remember you. They know about your kids, your spouse, etc. They know you as a PERSON, not just as a patient and file number.
Obviously, I think quite highly of Dr. Christofides and her staff. I cannot say enough great things about her patient care, attitude, and overall medical mindset. But the bottom line is, she’s good at her job. She caught a rare disease in me that most doctors wouldn’t have caught for YEARS when major symptoms developed, if at all. She likely saved me from brain surgery (okay, not BRAIN surgery, but pituitary surgery, which is close enough to my brain for the thought of it being sliced on to be super scary). And I’m eternally grateful to her for everything she’s done for me. Not every great doctor is great for a particular patient. Personalities play a large role in how you’ll mesh (or not) with a provider. But, it’s much easier to mesh with an awesome doctor than with a typical one.