HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

What do you think of Universities using fellows for primary doc's?

Support Forums
>
Chronic Pain
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/4/2013 9:55 AM (GMT 0)
For last 5+yr's I've had 3 pulmonary fellows @UNC Chapel Hill. Now these are board certified pulmonary doctors but are only there for 1 to 3yr's then leave. I just lost my 3rd doctor. And now I have to start over with another fellow who knows nothing about my lungs collapsing or my 25+ admissions or how difficult my case is. I am really thinking of looking for a private pulmonary group but my problem is most private groups have never dealt with my problems. Would you try another fellow or go private? Thanks Randy
Posted 7/4/2013 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
Can you ask for the place where your last doctor went, maybe try to get in with him/her. or google the fellows/doctor you've seen and try to locate where they are practicing and see if they are near you. I hate it when I have to get a new doctor, always having to explain things all over is a major pain...but you can ggole doctors and see where their at, maybe one of those past fellows doctors lives near you...and it might be worth trying to get with a private doctor...you can look up private doctors and the hospitals they have practices at, sometimes I'll look up doctors and try to find one that has access to hospitals near me...
Hope this makes sense and gives you a starting point.
Many well wishes and keep us posted
Posted 7/4/2013 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
I would go private if possible and find someone that is familiar with your particular condition. There has to be someone out there in private practice that ca help you. I have never been fond of having to switch or look for new drs on a basis such as yours.

Good luck with whatever you decide....Susie
Posted 7/4/2013 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Remember that, even though you have a different direct doctor every few years, the same attending expert is supervising your care. There is possibly some value in that.

Going private isn't always a fail-safe either. In the past four years I've lost two internists and one each rheumatologist, orthopedist and GI because they moved.
Posted 7/4/2013 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
Judy2 makes a excellent point. Also, often the "teachers" in teaching hospitals are also in private practice. Maybe you could look into if they also have a private practice. Or find out if the last dr you had is in private practice close to you. You might also want to check out several of the drs and see if they have had any articles published, etc and be sure they are Board Certified.

W have a large teaching hospital where I live. One of the advantages to going there is that because the drs your see are students they seem to be more up on the most recent studies, meds, technology, etc. There are draw backs, for example having to change to a new dr every few yrs. But you have to weigh the things that are most important to you.
Posted 7/4/2013 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
With a complex medical history like you have (and myself), I would only go private. It takes a good doctor a long time to learn all the nuances of a complex patient. I sure wouldn't want to switch doctors on a regular basis as you described. Too easy for the next one to miss something in your history.

david
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply