Doctors seem to be falling by the wayside...

[Bob Wright]

At my last check up, I mentioned to my PCP (Primary Care Physician) that my cardiologist was retiring. (At age 72 my PCP keeps on going.) I told him many years ago that I preferred my pastor and my doctor to be my age or older. He said, in effect, there ain't no doctors older than you. That I keep outliving them.

And, I'm sorry to say, I'm somewhat prejudiced in my selection of doctors. I want a male doctor with a name I can pronounce. And with some experience behind him. I sure don't want some youngster probing with one hand while holding a copy of "Basic Diagnosing" in the other.

Bob Wright

 

[Snake45]

Two years ago, I didn't know any doctors. I didn't even have a "primary care" doctor.

In April of 2022 I had a stroke, which put me in the hospital for 7 weeks. Since then I have met a LOT of doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other health care professionals of many different kinds, ages, sexes, and nationalities. I haven't had a bad experience yet. Every single one of them has been competent and professional, well mannered, polite, and seems to be genuinely interested in doing the very best job possible. Maybe I've just been lucky.

 

[john guedry]

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in my deer stand. My cardiologist said he was calling to tell me my stress test results came out good and I could drag out anything I killed. My heart was "good to go". The rest of me (I thought) not so good.

 

[Paul B]

Seems to me most doctors these days come for elsewhere other than the good old USA/ My primary sounds like a Jamacan rastafery. Never have figured out exactly where he's from. Another, my kidney doc said he was from Iran. Several heart docs are from various Arabic countries with one in the partnership either a Pakistani or Indian. My cancer doc are one Arab and the other an Anglo. How he ended up in that polyglot of mostly muslims is a mystery to me. About all I an add is they all have excellent reports regarding to the quality of the expertise and work. Sometime in the next month or so one of them will be replacing my aortic heart valve. Not my idea of fun but at least I know whichever one of them does the job, he'll do it right.
Paul B.

 

[jack black]

At my last check up, I mentioned to my PCP (Primary Care Physician) that my cardiologist was retiring. (At age 72 my PCP keeps on going.) I told him many years ago that I preferred my pastor and my doctor to be my age or older. He said, in effect, there ain't no doctors older than you. That I keep outliving them.

And, I'm sorry to say, I'm somewhat prejudiced in my selection of doctors. I want a male doctor with a name I can pronounce. And with some experience behind him. I sure don't want some youngster probing with one hand while holding a copy of "Basic Diagnosing" in the other.

Bob Wright

I want the most Qualified male, female or whatever. I also care less if I can or can not pronounce the name.

Best wishes

 

[Goldstar225]

Thirty years ago I selected a primary care doctor that was young enough that he should be able to attend me until I died. Unfortunately he suffered an injury during a freak off roading event that led to his death. My current PCP will probably retire before I take the dirt nap.

I don't care about a physicians origin as long a he/she is capable and I can understand them and they understand me.

 

[WAYNO]

Primary Care Provider has become an oxymoron to me.

My last Primary Care Doctor, I wouldn't recognize him if I saw him on the street. They always scheduled me with someone else in the organization.

In the meantime, I've changed Medicare providers. My new doctor is 20 years younger than me, so he should be around longer than me.

But my wife, also with a new PCP, is on her 3rd PCP change with the new organization. Their change. Medical care is not what it used to be, and very few work in their own office, but are just an employee of a larger organization.

 

[Danjet500]

My first PCP was from India. I saw him for about 40 years. After he retired I started seeing his son and have been for the last 20 years. I can pronounce both their first and last names. My urologist was from Pakistan and I saw him until I he retired. My next urologist was also from India and I still see him. Both their names were a little more difficult to pronounce and I think they knew that. They said just call them Dr. D and Dr. Z.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

Obamacare has caused many doctors to retire early.

 

[Armybrat]

I have 4 cardiologists - one American (Latina lady), one Venezuelan, one Indian, and one Chinese. My PCP of 15 years is an American.
All know their business, and the proof is me still being vertical.

 

[BearBiologist]

My PCP has a Czech name but no accent, etc. He handles both my wife and I. He has treated us for 20 years and had the same nurse for ten of those. My Cardiologist is WASP (His sone attends the same Baptist College I did) My throat Dr. is Anglo and the Ortho who put the plate in was Anglo. I do not have a problem with a foreign educated doctor, however I do have some reservations: How do you determine if a female or foreign doctor got in through Affirmative Action? Of course, he/she may have been at the top of his/her class and the Anglo at the bottom??

I am fortunate in that I have degrees in Biology, have had enough coursework to teach Microbiology 101, and was Station Safety Officer for over ten years (teaching disease safety to staff). I trust my instincts and inform the docs of my experience and education and we discuss any issues I have. But, you have to trust your instincts and it's still a crapshoot. You can always request a different doc!

 

[BearBiologist]

I have 4 cardiologists - one American (Latina lady), one Venezuelan, one Indian, and one Chinese. My PCP of 15 years is an American.
All know their business, and the proof is me still being vertical.

I know what you mean. They ask, "How are you?" and I answer, "I'm still on the good side of the grass!"

My Cardiologist (and his team of 2 nurses and at least one PAC) must be pretty good. A researcher (former PAC who handled me for him) recommended me for a national panel on better communication between cardio people and patients.

 

[Fox Mike]

My GP, pulmonary doc and urologist all have names indicating Indian decent. That really doesn't matter so long as they are capable in their chosen profession. I have no pregidice against anyone because of their surname so long as they do their job. They are all much younger than me, but so are most all people I meet.

 

[Armybrat]

Except for the Venezuelan, my doctors all look like high school kids to me.

 

[Snake45]

I forgot to mention, I had my stroke at the height of COVID paranoia and all my doctors and nurses wore masks the whole time. I wouldn't have recognized them if I walked by them on the street. I was told that my cardiologist was a dead ringer for Drew Carey and when I finally got to see his face, a year or a year and a half into our relationship, I found out that was a pretty accurate description of him. My PC physician seemed to be an attractive woman from the eyes up--when I finally got to see HER face, she turns out to be a pretty good ringer for the old supermodel/SI Swimsuit Issue cover girl Kathy Ireland.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

When I'm at any of my doctors for whatever, their first question to me is always "How are you today?"

My response is always "I dunno, I assume you'll tell me."

 

[jack black]

My daughter is a surgeon and one son a Micro Biologist . I listen to them.

 

[eveled]

I’m on my second female PCP no complaints.

 

[g5m]

I've had male and female primary doctors. Trained in the US and abroad. ( My favorite was a female trained in Iran) .They've all been competent in my view. Some of the doctors I've been referred to have been great , one did a great job but had the bedside manner of a turnip. It's nice to have one who is personable, but I really want the one who performs the job well.

And, many of the doctors I have known have retired. But I'm old.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

I have been going to the VA for well over 40 years.
I see whatever Doctor is on hand. I can't be picky.
I have seen them all , young , old , woman and men , names that I not only couldn't pronounce but couldn't spell either , ( some I wondered if they were old enough to drive ).
I have had many surgeries and procedures from them.
I can honestly say that they were all very good and professional.
If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here .

 

[Jack Ryan]

I told my PC that dragging out a deer was my "stress test" and if I survived it I figured I was good for anything else for a year.

I though SHE was going to have a heart attack.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I’ve been seeing drs on the base hospitals for 30 some years. The problem was as soon as you get used to one they were pcs’d to somewhere else. These days I’m farther away from the base so I’ve got a pcp on base which is an internal medicine dr, and one in town who’s a NP. My heart dr is here in town, and now my orthopedic doctor is here in town. I feel pretty confident in the folks I’m seeing.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Two years ago, I didn't know any doctors. I didn't even have a "primary care" doctor.

In April of 2022 I had a stroke, which put me in the hospital for 7 weeks. Since then I have met a LOT of doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other health care professionals of many different kinds, ages, sexes, and nationalities. I haven't had a bad experience yet. Every single one of them has been competent and professional, well mannered, polite, and seems to be genuinely interested in doing the very best job possible. Maybe I've just been lucky.

Snake,
They were just afraid of what you would do to them if they let you die. Fear can make a rude person genital

 

[KIR]

I don't see why anyone would be prejudiced against a younger doctor, after all they have had access to all the latest and newest info to fix you up.
At what age would you want your doctor to be, one who still wants to bleed you in order to cure you?

 

[Mobuck]

Yes, I know what you mean. I was 30ish when a new Dr showed up in the area to set up shop. Now, he's considering retirement.
Went through a similar scenario with veterinarian. We'd been in the cattle business for a couple decades when this new vet arrived. He RETIRED from practice end of 2023!! Geez, it doesn't seem like that long.
These are the 'perks' of getting old ourselves???

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

Since I turned 50, I determined that my primary medical advisors (doctor, dentist) MUST be younger than me. Why? Because I figured I'd really need them after I turned 70+, and wanted to be sure they were still in practice. That has turned out to be wise. My long-time dentist dropped dead of a heart attack a couple of years ago, and I've played h*ll finding a satisfactory replacement.

I switched PCPs in 2002, and have stayed with the "new" one ever since. The prior PCP was a native of India, and although competent enough, proved to be untrustworthy (declining to admit his gullibility in believing pharmaceutical companies' claims). When I switched, I chose my next-door neighbor. We were already friends, so switching was pretty easy. And its the best thing I've ever done. Every visit starts with "How's the wife? What are the kids doing?" Etc. When it comes time to talk about my medical condition, my doctor is very candid, straightforward. Much more so than any doctor I previously had. And that candor comes, at least in part, from the fact we are friends.

At my most recent visit, he told me he's considering retirement in a couple of years. Too bad. Just when am now at that age when I will most need his cumulative knowledge about my history.

 

[Snake45]

Snake,
They were just afraid of what you would do to them if they let you die. Fear can make a rude person genital

Jim,

Not one of them of any age, sex, or nationality has ever been "genital" to me. Not one of them has ever showed me their genitals, or offered to, or threatened to, or wanted to do anything with mine. Although I must admit, if my PC physician, the one who looks like supermodel Kathy Ireland, ever made me such an offer, I would be very, VERY tempted to accept it.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Damn spell check and OLD late at night eyesight.
But come on now I know you have had to turn your head and cough

 

[Snake45]

Nope. Not once. I guess nobody wants to see my ancient junk (although everything works just fine).

Maybe they know me well enough to suspect I'd use the occasion to say something crude and hilarious. Which I TOTALLY would, of course.

 

[vito]

American medical schools are turning out more physicians than ever, but its likely that many of these schools are affected by the "woke" insanity in this country and well might be rejecting traditional American White applicants in favor of minority applicants, and then down the road we end up with all of those Indian, Pakistani and Arab physicians. Another factor is where you live. Some places are generally seen as more desirable to live than others, so many of the White, American physicians who have a better choice of where to practice choose those nice locales. The foreign doctors tend to go where the American doctors don't, as some rural area that desperately needs physicians is likely to accept that doctor with the name you can't pronounce because they just need someone and can't wait around for that ideal American White guy.

Sometimes the younger doctor may be a better choice than the older experienced physician. Ten years ago I was diagnosed with cancer in one of my kidneys and was told it would have to be removed. The local urologist was a board certified surgeon who explained to me that it was likely that he would have to remove part of a rib to get to the kidney and that he wanted to be honest with me since this would add a year or so of painful recovery. I wanted a second opinion anyway, and went to a major medical center affiliated with a medical school. There I saw a young urologist who confirmed the original diagnosis, but when I asked about the rib issue he hesitated. He said if my kidney had to be removed, which he expected was the case, he would not have to touch the rib. He said the technique that involved removing part of the rib was one that stopped being taught about 25 years earlier, and he was surprised that any urologist was still using that particular technique. Needless to say, I went with this younger surgeon and all worked out well. I've been cancer free for ten years now, but I sure am glad I went with the young rather than the older doctor.