1. < Just Want to Talk

Recommendations needed: How did you find a good PCP?

Posted by eileenb1022 @eileenb1022, Aug 13, 2022

HI,
i was hoping for advice on finding a really good pcp. i kinda hit a brick wall. i have several health issues one serious, i have many specialialists, sinus, allery, rheumatology, GI especially. most seen in and around boston even though i live in NH. NH was a disaster for me doctor wise. im originally from mass and know dr's in the boston area are top notch. the problem im having is mass general and brigham and womens all really good primary doctors there but none of them are taking new patients. mass general only suggestion to call back periocicly to check. she mentioned some opening possibly outside boston but my fear of dr's based on my bad experience i didnt pursue it. so wondering if there is anyone here from that area who can guide me. i cant count the number of dr's i have been through in the last 14 months since my health problems started. last couple pcps have lasted 1 or 2 appointments until they either blew me off or just wouldnt help me. so i have inquired other places but thought i would ask here. if anyone can help me you can let me know here, send me a private message thank you so much!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Aug 13, 2022

Hi @eileenb1022, I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble locating a good primary care doctor and hopefully members living in the New Hampshire area can share some leads with you. You will notice that we removed your personal email address from your discussion description above. We recommend not posting personal contact information in the public forum. You can use the secure private message function to exchange contact information with another member.

REPLY
1 reply
eileenb1022 | @eileenb1022 | Aug 13, 2022
In reply to @johnbishop "Hi @eileenb1022, I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble locating a good primary care doctor..." + (show)
@johnbishop

Hi @eileenb1022, I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble locating a good primary care doctor and hopefully members living in the New Hampshire area can share some leads with you. You will notice that we removed your personal email address from your discussion description above. We recommend not posting personal contact information in the public forum. You can use the secure private message function to exchange contact information with another member.

Jump to this post

Hi thank you. I'm actually looking for one down around Boston because nh did nothing for me in 14 months. I'm not downing the state merely stating my personal experience. I just can't go through it no more if someone from mass can help that would be great. I would appreciate it so much.

REPLY
1 reply
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 13, 2022
In reply to @eileenb1022 "Hi thank you. I'm actually looking for one down around Boston because nh did nothing for..." + (show)
@eileenb1022

Hi thank you. I'm actually looking for one down around Boston because nh did nothing for me in 14 months. I'm not downing the state merely stating my personal experience. I just can't go through it no more if someone from mass can help that would be great. I would appreciate it so much.

Jump to this post

Hi Eileen,
I hope you don't mind, but I modified the title of this discussion to gather general tips about how people find a good primary care physician (PCP). I think this will be a very useful discussion no matter where in the country one lives.

Since you're looking in the New Hampshire area in particular I'm tagging a few members who I think are familiar with getting health care in the New England area like @merpreb @contentandwell @athena73 @ginpene05 @the1aborigine @skywave who may be able to offer more local ideas.

Have you considered Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinics? https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/primary-care

REPLY
1 reply
eileenb1022 | @eileenb1022 | Aug 13, 2022
In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi Eileen, I hope you don't mind, but I modified the title of this discussion to..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Hi Eileen,
I hope you don't mind, but I modified the title of this discussion to gather general tips about how people find a good primary care physician (PCP). I think this will be a very useful discussion no matter where in the country one lives.

Since you're looking in the New Hampshire area in particular I'm tagging a few members who I think are familiar with getting health care in the New England area like @merpreb @contentandwell @athena73 @ginpene05 @the1aborigine @skywave who may be able to offer more local ideas.

Have you considered Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinics? https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/primary-care

Jump to this post

Hello,
Thank you I appreciate your help. But I am in New Hampshire but I'm looking in Boston which seems to be no opening as I tried or surrounding Boston. I have been on a merry go round of Dr's in New Hampshire Dartmouth was the tipping straw what their gastro department did to me is beyond words I will never go back there I have to wait until November to see a gastro at mass general be ause of what Dartmouth did to me. Not ideal to wait that long but I really had no choice if you could tag people in the Boston area that would be helpful thank you.

REPLY
1 reply
callalloo | @callalloo | Aug 13, 2022

I've lived most of my adult life in major metro areas, including Boston and NYC, but now spend part of the year in the mountains in N.C. and miss the sheer concentration of top medical talent in the cities.

However, a lot of doctors move out of these same expensive cities after getting their post-graduate experience and looking to build a practice elsewhere. Or when deciding where to settle or start a family.

Ask every doctor that you like if they know someone good in a city near you. I found two new doctors who had classmates who practice near here. I specify 'city' because top doctors seldom move to under-populated areas unless they retire. (Supply-and-demand applies and they need to work where there is enough demand. Just as they mostly work in major metro areas, noted medical centers, to build a career resume and future demand.)

Doctors network a lot so you might get a few ideas that way.

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Aug 13, 2022
In reply to @eileenb1022 "Hello, Thank you I appreciate your help. But I am in New Hampshire but I'm looking..." + (show)
@eileenb1022

Hello,
Thank you I appreciate your help. But I am in New Hampshire but I'm looking in Boston which seems to be no opening as I tried or surrounding Boston. I have been on a merry go round of Dr's in New Hampshire Dartmouth was the tipping straw what their gastro department did to me is beyond words I will never go back there I have to wait until November to see a gastro at mass general be ause of what Dartmouth did to me. Not ideal to wait that long but I really had no choice if you could tag people in the Boston area that would be helpful thank you.

Jump to this post

@eileenb1022 Ask your friends, acquaintances, family if they have recommendations. Try large teaching hospitals [usually associated with a university]. Call the medical association for the county where you would like to focus on, and ask for a specialist from their list. Almost any facility and doctor can be "googled" for reviews and such.

Good luck. Remember, a medical practice that is good for one person, may not fit for another!
Ginger

REPLY
1 reply
eileenb1022 | @eileenb1022 | Aug 13, 2022
In reply to @gingerw "@eileenb1022 Ask your friends, acquaintances, family if they have recommendations. Try large teaching hospitals [usually associated..." + (show)
@gingerw

@eileenb1022 Ask your friends, acquaintances, family if they have recommendations. Try large teaching hospitals [usually associated with a university]. Call the medical association for the county where you would like to focus on, and ask for a specialist from their list. Almost any facility and doctor can be "googled" for reviews and such.

Good luck. Remember, a medical practice that is good for one person, may not fit for another!
Ginger

Jump to this post

I have no one to ask. Those that do the reviews say otherwise last dr had great reviews the first visit was just a nightmare he wouldn't really let me speak of voice my health concerns and when I did by phone he blew it off so I couldn't speak so every thing is a crapshoot

REPLY
eileenb1022 | @eileenb1022 | Aug 14, 2022
In reply to @callalloo "I've lived most of my adult life in major metro areas, including Boston and NYC, but..." + (show)
@callalloo

I've lived most of my adult life in major metro areas, including Boston and NYC, but now spend part of the year in the mountains in N.C. and miss the sheer concentration of top medical talent in the cities.

However, a lot of doctors move out of these same expensive cities after getting their post-graduate experience and looking to build a practice elsewhere. Or when deciding where to settle or start a family.

Ask every doctor that you like if they know someone good in a city near you. I found two new doctors who had classmates who practice near here. I specify 'city' because top doctors seldom move to under-populated areas unless they retire. (Supply-and-demand applies and they need to work where there is enough demand. Just as they mostly work in major metro areas, noted medical centers, to build a career resume and future demand.)

Doctors network a lot so you might get a few ideas that way.

Jump to this post

thanks i did talk to my sinus dr and his nurse at mass eye and ear and they couldnt help they just suggested looking outside the city so forth but sorry after 14 months of hell in new hampshire and it wasnt just one part of the state it was all over. even a place i used to go to and had excellent care 10 yrs ago i took the font desks recommendations cause there were all new providers yeah didnt work out so well first visit excellent second visit it was luck someone stole his brain and compassion. last dr i saw a week week and a half ago i had really high hopes for, all reviews online for him were excellent even won some awards same with his collegue. what a disappointment. not only did his three office staff visibly fight with each other over my insurance card but this dr wouldnt let me speak because it was our first visit which i understand but i had things i waited a long time to be addressed. i had a ctscan in th ER which showed a definite problem with my lumberspine. nope he never mentioned it so fatchance on getting the mri i need. i sent him messages abiut some of my bloodwork levels dropping he said they were fine. sorry. he blamed my obvious yr long symptoms on something petty not a defiency which i know i had. but he did squeeze in"you need to lose weight" oh yeah because of my GI issues my food limitations are few. sometimes i have to drink ensure just to get nutrition and he can stand there and fatshame me and people on the outside wonder why i have a mistrust of doctors. maybe for the 14 months of hell they put me through.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.