Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Doctor Dartboard

Spent a little time this morning browsing doctor listings to find a PCP. The last time I had a doctor visit was about two years ago, where I went in for a check-up with a new doctor.

This doctor gave me a basic physical, said my cholesterol was high, and promptly put me on the Atkin's diet. I eventually asked for a copy of my blood test results -- my cholesterol was 205, which is high, but hardly in the life-threatening range. A little thin as justification for going on an extreme no-carb diet.

So after learning all this, I ditched said physician and haven't been back in for a check-up since. My ankle hasn't been getting better fast enough (I want instant results, dammit, just like on Star Trek), which prompted me to go find another physician and get a check-up.

Which brings me back to the point of my gripe: it's really hard to find a good physician. All I get from my insurance provider is a list of names and specialties. I might was well print out the list and throw darts at it.

I tried looking for information on line, but didn't really find anything. I checked out RateMDs,
but they have reviews for about 600 doctors in all of California; not surprisingly, my doctor was not one of them. BTW, this is an interesting site to check, since a lot of people with bad experiences with their doctors have posted them.

I think I will at least review my new doctor after my check-up. If nothing else, his office is at least close to my house.

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