Tips to Help You Find the Right Doctor

by Lissa Rankin, M.D.

You might have been raised to believe that doctors are gods and that you shouldn't question us, but let me tell you the real truth, my loves. We docs are in the service industry - it's our job to love, nurture, tend, and care for you, and if we're not doing that the way you deserve, you should fire our sorry asses!

If you weren't getting what you needed from your massage therapist, hairdresser, or yoga instructor, you would find someone else, right? Why should your doctor be any different? And yet, your doctor is even more important. This is serious stuff we're talking about here.

Plus, medicine is, after all, a spiritual practice. At least it should be, and if your doctor doesn't believe that, do you really want to put your body and your life in his or her hands? If you didn't like your priest, minister, guru, or shaman, you would go elsewhere, right?

I just got an email from a reader saying she was miserable with her doctor, but she was afraid to see anyone else because she didn't want to get labeled as a troublesome "doctor shopper."

Why Not Doctor Shop?

My response to her was "Why not doctor shop? And who cares if someone labels you 'troublesome?' It's your body. Your health. Your life. Your choice." 10 Tips To Help You Find The Right Doctor

• Interview your doctor. Let them know when you schedule the appointment that you would like to schedule a consultation to make sure your doctor is the right fit for you. If the doctor won't submit to being interviewed, you gotta wonder what they're afraid of. Find someone who has enough confidence in their awesomeness to agree to being interviewed.
• Be willing to get what you pay for. Insurance may not pay for you to doctor shop or for consultative interviews with doctors. So tell the front desk you're willing to pay cash when you schedule the appointment. Also, doctors who do not accept insurance tend to offer more time. Find a doctor who will give you a whole hour if you can.
• Demand what you deserve (in a gentle, loving way, of course). Understand that your doctor may have 40 patients on her schedule, so be mindful of her time - and ask how long you have allotted for you. Then be clear about what you expect and don't settle for less.
• Seek someone who shares your beliefs.  If you are a spiritual person counting on your relationship with the Divine to guide you on your self-healing journey, and your doctor is an atheist, it might not be the best fit.
• Check in with how your body reacts. If you feel tight, clenched, nervous, cold, shivery, or closed off, your body may be telling you something. Look for feelings of openness, warmth, relaxation, and calmness in your body.
• Listen to your intuition. What does your gut say? Do you trust this doctor? Do you feel safe in her hands? Trust your Inner Pilot Light (that 100% authentic, unapologetically YOU, knowing inner healer who will always steer you in the right direction.)
• Ask your doctor if they believe you can be healed. If your doctor reads you negative statistics, dismisses your self-healing superpowers, insists that there's no hope, lacks belief in miracles, and generally considers you a hopeless case, get thee the hell outta dodge!
• Feel the love.  I know I practice love, with a little medicine on the side. Science may cure, but only love heals. Go where the love is. There's plenty of loving doctors out there. Find one.
• Ensure that your doctor trusts your intuition. If you believe homeopathy is going to heal you, and your doctor thinks homeopaths are quacks, fire her. You and your inner wisdom know more than anyone else, no matter how long they went to medical school.
• Know that you deserve the best care possible. Don't go telling yourself stories about how you're not good enough/ smart enough/ young enough/ rich enough/ [fill in the blank] enough to get this kind of stellar medical care. If you believe you'll only get bad care, it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Know you are worth it.

Are You Ready To Go Out And Get The Kind Of Care You Deserve?

This doesn't just apply to doctors, you know. (I picked on them because my profession is notoriously bad about providing good customer service these days.) But this also goes for alternative health providers, the woman who does your pedicure, and your dentist. I believe in you. There are so many good doctors and other health care practitioners out there. Find the ones who are right for you.

Note :

Lissa is an OB/GYN physician, a Pink Medicine Revolutionary, author of two books, a motivational speaker, founder of OwningPink.com, a professional artist, and a mom. She believes that promoting health without encouraging others to seek wholeness is an exercise in futility. Not until we realize that our bodies are mirrors of our interpersonal, spiritual, professional, sexual, creative, financial, environmental, mental, and emotional health will we truly heal.

Source :

http://www.psychologytoday.com