Have you ever gotten a bad vibe from a doctor?

Tenor CS · 02-09-2010, 07:53 PM

Some of you know, I went to the ER last Monday.

It turned out to be nothing major, just a bad ear infection, but the symptoms were feeling like they could be anything from a heart attack to a stroke.

The doc who saw me in the ER gave me his card, told me to follow up with him. At the time, it seemed like a medically sound thing to do.

Now, after my follow up with him, I feel like he was just trying to drum up more business, and really didn't give a rat's rear end about my health.

My issues:

I was not seen until 65 minutes after my scheduled appointment time.

His office is like a medical ... "factory" is the best way I can put it. He had 12 exam rooms. Most doc's offices I know of and have been to have 2 to 4.

I was asked, three times, by his medical assistants, if I planned on switching to him as my new primary care physician. It seemed like they were putting a hard sell on.

In the ER, I put sleep apnea/acid reflux on my medical history. He gave me an RX for Nexium. There is no generic yet, and 30 days of Nexium costs well over $100, even on my insurance. I can get 6 weeks of Prilosec for less than $20, even cheaper if I get the generic in bulk or find it on sale or have a coupon. At this point, I fully believe that he might be getting some kind of bonus or kickback for prescribing Nexium.

Today, he wanted to order a sleep study for me, even though I already had one less than a year ago. He seemed VERY disappointed that he wasn't going to be able to bill me for that nice big chunk of change.

He also didn't seem to believe me when I told him I had a CPAP machine and used it every day. He kept saying, "Really? EVERY day?"

I asked him about how I was feeling the first 2-3 days after I left the ER. I asked him about why my blood test results were weird and why my heart was pounding. He was very dismissive and said, "Yeah, it's just a side effect of the steroids, don't worry about it."

He was very pushy in trying to get me to sign up for his weight loss therapy, which of course is not covered by insurance and is very expensive. It involves all kinds of drugs and supplements and vitamin B shots. I doubt the efficacy of the method. AND when I told him I was unemployed, he immediately ended his time with me, scribbled an RX and left.

Normally, when doctors find out I am a pre-med student, they stop dumbing it down, and some have even been really good about using it as a teaching moment and mentoring me a bit. This guy continued to be arrogant and patronizing.

All in all, I really feel like his whole method of running his practice is just a huge money grab. And when he found out that I am unemployed, therefore broke, I was no longer of use to him, and he couldn't get out of the room fast enough.

He wants to see me again in two weeks. When I call to cancel, should I say why or just write him off?

02-09-2010, 07:53 PM	#1
Tenor CS Feeling Better! Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Christian Location: Davenport, FL (near Orlando) Posts: 717 Trading: (2)	Have you ever gotten a bad vibe from a doctor? Some of you know, I went to the ER last Monday. It turned out to be nothing major, just a bad ear infection, but the symptoms were feeling like they could be anything from a heart attack to a stroke. The doc who saw me in the ER gave me his card, told me to follow up with him. At the time, it seemed like a medically sound thing to do. Now, after my follow up with him, I feel like he was just trying to drum up more business, and really didn't give a rat's rear end about my health. My issues: I was not seen until 65 minutes after my scheduled appointment time. His office is like a medical ... "factory" is the best way I can put it. He had 12 exam rooms. Most doc's offices I know of and have been to have 2 to 4. I was asked, three times, by his medical assistants, if I planned on switching to him as my new primary care physician. It seemed like they were putting a hard sell on. In the ER, I put sleep apnea/acid reflux on my medical history. He gave me an RX for Nexium. There is no generic yet, and 30 days of Nexium costs well over $100, even on my insurance. I can get 6 weeks of Prilosec for less than $20, even cheaper if I get the generic in bulk or find it on sale or have a coupon. At this point, I fully believe that he might be getting some kind of bonus or kickback for prescribing Nexium. Today, he wanted to order a sleep study for me, even though I already had one less than a year ago. He seemed VERY disappointed that he wasn't going to be able to bill me for that nice big chunk of change. He also didn't seem to believe me when I told him I had a CPAP machine and used it every day. He kept saying, "Really? EVERY day?" I asked him about how I was feeling the first 2-3 days after I left the ER. I asked him about why my blood test results were weird and why my heart was pounding. He was very dismissive and said, "Yeah, it's just a side effect of the steroids, don't worry about it." He was very pushy in trying to get me to sign up for his weight loss therapy, which of course is not covered by insurance and is very expensive. It involves all kinds of drugs and supplements and vitamin B shots. I doubt the efficacy of the method. AND when I told him I was unemployed, he immediately ended his time with me, scribbled an RX and left. Normally, when doctors find out I am a pre-med student, they stop dumbing it down, and some have even been really good about using it as a teaching moment and mentoring me a bit. This guy continued to be arrogant and patronizing. All in all, I really feel like his whole method of running his practice is just a huge money grab. And when he found out that I am unemployed, therefore broke, I was no longer of use to him, and he couldn't get out of the room fast enough. He wants to see me again in two weeks. When I call to cancel, should I say why or just write him off? __________________ When the world itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?