Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have written on this topic, and if anyone had asked me, I would have replied, ”Duh! Look up Doctor, under D in the yellow pages, make an appointment, and tally ho!” However, as I found to my consternation, choosing a doctor is not that simple.
It all began one fine, sunny day. There was a warm breeze blowing, and we were having a “friendly” cricket on the Gold Coast beach with a bunch of Pakistani guys. I was fielding at mid-on(ankle deep in the Pacific Ocean and watching the passing humanity with interest), when I heard Piyush shout, Mathurrrrr.catchhhhhhhh., ” As I leaped like a nimble swan towards the ball, I heard a loud “crack”. Subsequent investigations revealed a broken elbow, the result of meeting the sand the hard way after my dive.
Hahahahahahahhaha, went almost the entire beach, or so it felt. Now you see, on my good days, I closely resemble Inzamam-ul-Haq in bulk, and the sight of me diving, was hilarious enough that both the teams were laughing their silly heads off and wondering why there wasn’t any earthquake. A couple of kids asked me if I could do that trick again, as this time they had their cameras.
Well, I was nursing my injured ego too much to notice my injured elbow. The pain hit me with full force later in the night. Still, there was no way I was going to a doctor for such a ‘minor’ injury. Ignoring my roommate’s advice, I went about mouthing the classic Amitabh dialogue'Mard ko dard nahi hota”. However the pain got better of me and necessitated a trip to the hospital.
Now the million$ question was, how to choose the doctor? You might say, what’s to decide, go to the nearest orthopedic surgeon. Why all this fuss? Well, smarty pants, if you know so much, why don’t YOU write a review on it?
:-) Ok, Ok, moving on.I have listed the criterion that I used.
Is the Doctor Certified?
Doctors, who are certified by a medical board, have been trained in specialty areas, such as cancer or, in my case, orthopaedics. They have taken and passed certification examinations given by doctors in their field. To keep their certification, doctors must earn continuing education credits. Now, not all specialists are certified by boards, and, conversely, doctors do not need to be board certified to be highly accomplished. Still, most doctors prefer being certified, as it builds patient confidence.
Dr. Martin Jones was certified by the Australian Board of orthopaedics, Australian Board of Surgeons, and half a dozen other boards. Good enough for me!
With which Hospitals is the Doctor affiliated?
This is just to ensure whether the doctor is respected/valued by his peers. This criteria, however, is not necessary, as many doctors do private practice, but again, could be helpful.
Dr. Jones is affiliated to the Royal Children’s Hospital, and the Princess Alexandria Hospital. As these are the 2 biggest Hospitals here, I was reassured that other Doctors thought maybe he was kind of okay doctor:-)
How experienced is S(H)E?
Find out for how long the doctor has been practising. Talk to his secretary, and, if required, to the doctor himself. How many patients has he treated? How many are still alive [ Kidding.:-)]
I did ask Dr. Jones this, and he said, ” Well, you are the first person I am treating after coming out from prison on charges of poisoning my patients”!
Ask around
Talk to your friends, colleagues, family, to find out about the doctor. Try and get in touch with his former patient, if possible.
Emergency
Can you contact him after hours? This is important as there might be “complications”, or to use a better word, “developments” that you might need to discuss with your doctor.
How is the Doctor’s staff?
Staff was pretty good; polite, helpful and very considerate.
How much does he charge you?
Way too much!
And always get a second opinion, get third, fourth, fifth opinions, if your affliction is serious. For a career threatening injury like David Beckham’s or mine, always take your time to ensure you get the best treatment.
Get a Doctor who is humorous
I personally try and follow this criterion, as I find funny Doctors are more confident and make for better doctors. There is no scientific explanation for my hypothesis, just a gut feel. I am more at ease with a Doctor who looks comfortable. The doctor who examined my elbow injury, was pretty funny, and kept telling great jokes and making fun of my injury.
I hope this has been of some help to you. Remember, its your health and your life that you are putting in someones' hands, so take the time and choose wisely!
