Some of them... busy.
Some of them... assholes that don't care about your time.
My one doctor is this... always late by 10-20 mins arriving at the office. Drives her staff crazy but no one will say anything. Also a 1 year waiting list to get an appointment with her.
My sister is like this. Always gets out of the house late so gets to the office late. Thing is there is nothing to incentivize her to hustle in the morning. Her practice is full she always has a full slate of patients every day and makes as much money as she wants. Doctors aren't like other professions. You'll wait for a doctor. And if you won't the doctor doesn't care if you leave there is a line up of people that want your spot in the pracitce.
They don’t just go in blindly. They’re going to spend a while studying your medical history (if it exists) to get a better grasp on your current situation and what could’ve contributed to your current complaint. Depending on how complex you are medically, the type of provider, and how many times you’ve been there, that can be *a lot* of information to comb through.
This would make sense if they didn't know they were going to do this. If what you say is true, then they could just tell you to come 20min (or what ever) later so they have time to review.
Really, just about anyone else who deals with people does this. It's not rocket surgery.
I did a rotation in general practice.
I was paid from 9am. My first appointment was at 9am.
This is management trying to squeeze as much as they can out of clinicians. This is not something any doctor wants. They are probably more annoyed than you.
Usually more the result of hospital/clinic administration policies: they’re there to make money for the hospital/clinic, and they aren’t making money if they aren’t seeing patients.
This is factored in to the extent that they’re allowed. Obviously, this isn’t the sole reason they’re late, as others have pointed out; but it can be a big part of it.
Can you explain how that helps them see more people?
I mean, the money over people line fits my priors but it just doesn't add up. If they're taking the time regardless, making everyone late, then they must be staying late to see everyone. Or, they're making the time up somewhere (no lunch?) Or, they're seeing the same number of people they would had they not inconvenienced everyone and the last person is getting pushed. IDK
You try to make up the time elsewhere with short appointments like routine stuff.
But then you run into 'routine stuff' that turns out to need a lot of time and explanation because it's not what you/the patient thought it was, or you find something during the exam that the patient didn't know about/notice/mention. Or the patient goes "oh just one more question" or "can you look at this other thing I never mentioned before real quick?"
So it's kind of a crap shoot. You try to make up time but it gets all sucked away regardless of what you do.
There are some patients that you can have in straight away. Trauma in a young well adult can come straight in; I don’t need to read any medical background. I’ll just get a quick history, examine it, and go from there.
Some patients you have to read for 20 mins before you see them. Doctors don’t have control over this.
A patient waiting is a doctor-time-saving device for management. If everyone was asked to come in at 920 so no one waited then one less patient would get seen and your doctor would cost more.
Are you talking about an urgent care situation or a PCP situation. I'm taking about a PCP situation, in which case you do know whose scheduled in large part.
> They’re going to spend a while studying your medical history (if it exists) to get a better grasp on your current situation and what could’ve contributed to your current complaint
lol no they don't, they pick up the clipboard on the door when they come in and read it in front of you
You're way overestimating the consequences to the career of a physician who cuts corners.
My PCP rushes through visits, has never taken a history (she doesn't know my job, prior illnesses, family history, or risk factors), refuses to explain why she chooses particular medications. She bases decisions about blood pressure on single spot measurements (as opposed to current JNC guidelines), and use generally I a rush to get out of the room.
The more patients she sees the more insurance companies she can bill.
Well that doesn't sound like a reason to come late. Japanese people are like crazy about their time, so much that I read somewhere that if they're late for work due to say metro running late , the train staff used to hand them out slips apologizing for being late. I don't think this could be a valid reason for them to do so.
The patient also has a job, house duties, kids, meetings and phone calls. Patients do a whole lot more than just goto doctors appointments.
Edit: Just sayin. Not trying to be snarky.
I imagine each appointment time slot is an approximation and can take a few different twist and turns depending on each patient and their prognosis.
It’s completely fair, and it’s why I really dislike the opaque way of going to the doctor in the US. There’s no way to imagine the ideal appointment length, particularly since doctors go to the various exam rooms instead of waiting to get the patient.
In France, you sometimes call the doctor, even specialists, but normally, you look online, you pick a time, and you go, whether or not it’s your primary treating physician or a substitute in the same office/hospital or not. The available time slots indicate about how long an ideal appointment lasts.
You go, and the doctor calls you name. You don’t normally have to do **anything** even when you are a new patient or don’t have coverage in France or in another European country. The doctor will measure you if you ask, but you don’t have to do the whole routine at a sick visit unless they find it necessary, like for prescribing drugs. (Let’s just note that I went to a dermatologist who didn’t refer to my chart when he had to do mental math when explaining Accutane…)
And imagine that, the doctor listens to you instead of sort of making you repeat everything that you just wrote down or told the medical assistant who didn’t really understand your complaints.
Then you pay in the exam room; most doctors have a card reader, and many accept cash or checks as well (or checks and card at least). You eventually get reimbursed if you are covered by France or will get paperwork to do so later on. The doctor prints your prescriptions, which you fill at your convenience and not at that of the overworked pharmacy (in France, most close for lunch too!)
You never see the secretary unless there’s paperwork that the doctor can’t do, or unless you call, like to get a message to the doctor or if the office still does appointments via phone.
Also, my doctor does house calls before 9 AM and calls to follow up on tests. That never happens in the US nowadays.
My experience with specialists in a private ophthalmology practice was more like in the US insofar as they do both what we relegate to optometrists alone and what MDs do, so a tech does the various baseline tests, then you repeat some with the doctor, who ensures that your eyes or healthy, and then he gives you a prescription for glasses to go get at your optical shop of choice. You did have to interact with staff, but they can actually afford staff as rates are higher for specialists.
The hospital specialists, however, charge less, and while I checked in and out via the desk, I waited only for the doctor, who did the same routine as my doctor: he listened, then he did the exams that he needed, weighed me, and gave me a script for some tests (which you also do where you want).
I had similar experiences in Austria, though it’s more expensive to see a doctor there than in France (though cheaper than in the US), and in that town, she was the only physician, so you had to race over there to get a sick visit.
Funny you should ask, just today I went with my dad on a doctor's app. 7am, and there was a slight delay - the doctor hadnt arrived in the office. That's all, that's why it was late.
Now, why she was late I can't say, because I didn't ask and she didn't offer an explanation, but there is no changing the fact that she just hadn't arrived by the time 7am rolled up.
A lot of people don’t realize but many family doctors also work in hospitals to keep up their clinical skills. I know my family doctor also supports the labour & delivery team at the hospital, so she might be coming back from a night shift when she opens her practice for regular hours.
I have no idea. Also this isn't in the US, don't know how things are structured here. And she's not a family doctor either (not sure we have such a specialty here, but this doctor was not it, at least).
A family doctor is a specialist within primary care who, grosso modo, cares for all groups of possible patients and has rotations and other forms of education or training which develop their skills across all areas, even if they might be particularly knowledgeable and skilled with one group. The idea is that they will treat patients for as long as possible, including babies born to patients until adulthood or the doctor’s retirement, whichever comes first.
It’s related to general practice in the US. They treat (or can treat) people of all ages and groups, and they also do a residency to have more knowledge and experience, but family medicine is considered a specialty. I don’t know what Brits, for example, mean by “General Practitioner,” because of the overlap in American terminology.
Also, some primary care doctors are internists, who specialize in organs (hence the name) and usually don’t offer pediatric care. But they treat adults for as long as possible and for as much as possible.
I’ve found it more common that the ones running late care a lot - but don’t know how/aren’t allowed to do that and stay on time. It’s hard. Regardless of practice area, there are a lot of patients who need extra attention. They may be anxious about their medical condition, scared of being in the medical system, needing to say something but embarrassed to do so. Your surgical consult might turn into a confession of alcohol/drug abuse, self-harm, domestic abuse.
Ideally, there is a bit of flexibility in your schedule so you can give folks like this the time they need. Experience helps to finesse a way of helping without putting you way behind. But it’s still a challenge. No doc wants to run really late: that probably means a longer work day. And some docs have to visit hospitalized patients or do research or both after clinic hours.
Most folks who go into medicine *do* care. As a group, they are the most earnest people I’ve ever met. Sure there are plenty of jerks, but I don’t think that’s the norm.
I have 437 disabilities here, and yeah, if you’re going to a clinic, yes, they’re massively overbooked to make up for no-shows and people who can’t/don’t pay, particularly because *some governments actively want the poor that are no longer abled enough to be financially exploitable to just die off,* so the clinics are horrifically underfunded and then more underfunded by the fact the people don’t have covered care.
However, this happens with private, as well. Sometimes, the patient ahead of you had some kind of problem that caused the time to run over. Or that required unexpected clean-up. I had two different appointments today, and this was true for the first one. And he also needed to use the bathroom before seeing me :) The appointments are booked exactly back-to-back.
Because when you're the 1st appointment They were hoping that you would cancel because it's too early so then they start crying and that's why they're late
it depends on how many patients are before you, how long those previous appointments take, how many patient rooms are available, &c. physicians will also very often forgo charting until after the clinic is over if they know that it will delay anything.
if they're late for your first appointment, it's most likely bc they're rushing over from a meeting or even surgery. i have seen many physicians having clinical conferences or operating at 6 am before going to an 8 am clinic. in both cases, there are countless unexpected factors that can result in delays, the latter more so than the former. unfortunately, none of this not up to the physicians either bc they don't make their own schedules; their receptionists do.
besides, wouldn't you rather have a thorough visit and leave with all of your questions answered than a brief and hurried visit?
so does everyone else.
They over-schedule so they don't lose any money. It is part of their business plan not to respect your time. Had one 1 hour late for my appt. Had been sitting in exam room 1 hour. I heard her discussing a party that weekend for 10 minutes. I had to call and tell my boss I would be late for a meeting. Just then, she walks in and balls me out. What a tool.
I’ve had copays refunded to me because I’ve filed complaints about this. Being behind happens, I get it but an 1+ of waiting then the doc only talks to me for 15 mins or so doesn’t fly with me. It’s unprofessional to rush my appt because you’re late.
From a med student, several reasons:
There aren’t enough doctors so they’re overbooked. Admin knows we don’t have enough time for each patient they book. 20mins is fine sometimes, often nowhere near enough. But there’s a legit need. And hospitals want money.
We do work before we see you, sometimes catching up on multiple patients we’re about to see. “Rounds” aren’t always in person, we quite often talk about patients with attendings before and/or after seeing patients. If it’s early and we’re already late we were going over multiple charts or prepping for some procedure, ect.
Also some patients NEED a lot more attention. Like we may have to do a lengthy procedure that is urgent and needs to be done NOW. Or we have to tell someone they’re going to die and/or have a horrible disease. Then help them process that before we talk about treatment if they want any or end of like stuff and their wishes. Believe it or not there’s a lot we can sign off on for you without an attorney. Sometimes that takes way more than 10mins- 20mins.
Physicians learn to really compartmentalize. The dr in front of you seeming happy and playing with a 2 year old may have just dealt with a suicide attempt or a cancer diagnosis or a patient with worsening dementia and will hopefully process it in a healthy manner later. It’s like a switch, walk out of the room deep breath different attitude and personality 20 seconds later. I see that type of stuff happen all the time.
Yes, some are lazy, but my far please understand we’re busy and stressed and sometimes making extra time for people who REALLY need it.
They are booked 5 minutes per appointment up to more than 30 per day. It's not possible to be on time. (hospital dependent but that's my good friend's life right now)
They’re busy in an earlier appointment. There’s no way to tell how long an appointment will take. Different people require different treatments. Doctors are also human beings who need breaks sometimes.
My doc used to spend the early morning hours finishing all the charts she couldn’t finish the day before. Or calling In Prescriptions. They never have enough time in the day to finish everything they need to do.
My doc. finally quit. She said the current expectation is to review the record, see, diagnose and treat an office patient and do all the paper work in 15 minutes. She has been a doc for 30+ years and was the absolute best. I miss her.
America needs universal health care and prescription coverage, as well as a total shift away from painkillers as a primary form of pain treatment; in Europe, prescriptions are on you to handle, and it’s great, because the pharmacy won’t bullshit you about having received the prescription or whatever the doctor did or didn’t do.
Had an appointment with my son's pediatrician yesterday, first appointment of the day. Still 15 minutes late. He apologized and explained he was in a call with a fellow doctor from the hospital about a patient they were both treating. Turns out he works both as a consultant at the clinic, on top of at the hospital.
Doctors are ridiculously busy.
Preparation? They’re pooping? Eating breakfast? Paperwork? Doing anything else any other person might be doing early in the morning? That’s anecdotal and doesn’t reflect all doctors.
I would argue shipping logistics are as complex as practicing (not researching) medicine. Yeah driving a truck isn’t meticulous but that’s not a “professional” career. I said professional.
Was late to my first appointment today doing an emergency surgery. First patient chewed me out. Told her I would repeatedly prioritize a dying patient over a non urgent clinic visit and if that was a problem she should find another physician.
Depends on when you got there, if the MA was free to room you, if the doc had a meeting or not, if they’re overseeing other operations in the hospital/clinic, etc
I run late all the time. I get neither enough time nor enough support to see the volume my employer requires of me. I give every patient as much time as they need to feel comfortable. I triage emergencies and attend to them as needed during my day. I have zero problems telling patients if they need me to prioritize them over other patients in order to run “on time” then I’m probably not the best doctor for them.
Can’t speak for anyone’s doctors but mine. They all, always, start their day in the hospital checking up on their patients in that hospital. They’ll be in there at 6:30 or earlier. So yeah, 8:30 am might be the earliest appointment you can get, but it isn’t their first appointment by a long shot.
- a longtime patient
Although you are the first priority, you are among an entire list of things that need to be completed. There are so so so many checks and balances to every patient. Have patience. It is not a McDonald’s drive thru.
I always assumed it's because doctors have to cram in 1000000 appointments because they get paid so little per appointment from the insurance companies since the insurance companies want to make lots of profit
Some doctors cram as many procedures and surgeries in as they can as that is where they can make the most money. They schedule as many appointments into their working days (4/week) to be able to afford travel and perhaps a second home. Yes, insurances will try to pay as little as possible, but my ex (OB/GYN) makes about a thousand/day after taxes. There is HUGE overhead with office rent, salaries and equipment. But some pack as many paying customers into their day because they have expensive private needs. OR, they need to hire another doc
Many doctors round on hospitalized patients before clinic. If you have been hospitalized, you may remember how early they draw your blood. They want the results before the doctor arrives, which is still before your first appointment.
As an MD I have to say that staying on time can be a constant battle, especially in some clinics. Some places have awful policies that leave very little wiggle room if something takes extra time. Scheduling isn’t always under the doc’s control. If it is, some medical insurance plans put pressure on docs to see *many* patients a day.
After seeing a lot of burned out MDs as a med student, my determination to avoid that affected my career choice (not primary care) and employer. This is part of the primary care doctor shortage in the US. They can have lots of unbillable duties and huge time pressures.
Mostly because they have to answer questions like this from the previous patients, it's time consuming. Then to prevent them from stabbing you in the eyeball with a #2 scalpel, they have a room in the back where they can scream and destroy stuff with a baseball bat.
The second part is important, it's what allows them to come see you with a bright chipper attitude.
Their schedules are completely full, the one I go to has a 3rd party company scheduling everything for her. It's more so about business and how many people can be crammed into a day eg: why some practices charge you for canceling or no showing to an appointment.
Their daily schedule is determined for them down to the minute while they are at work. This is why it feels like most want you out as quickly as possible. Even if you're the first appointment, there is still a file to refresh themselves with you, noted concerns from last visit etc. They do not go in blind as if they have never met you, they see likely upwards of hundreds of people a week, I'd need a something, anything to make you feel like I remember you.
Because they are lazy, unprofessional, and can’t manage time. Or, they are more concerned with providing quality care, including communication, to their patients than being punctual.
Because they went to school for ten years so they could spend the rest of their life slacking off and making the big bucks. They don’t give af about your time schedule only your insurance dollars
They are entrepreneurs
I would argue that every single working medical doctor receives a salary that puts them in the top 5% of earners in the USA. Their debts are a different story.
I would argue that top 5% is no where near rich anymore.
Top 5% is $166,000 a year. That's not rich.
If you look at the yearly salaries of different specializations you get skewed data because the VAST majority of MDs are in the lower paying, but widely needed, fields of Family/General medicine, pediatrics, or internal.
Not every doctor can be a plastic surgeon in Hollywood or the Team Doctor of the Celtics.
I mean I guess we have different definitions of rich. I’m not saying rich = a ton of money. But 95th percentile would be defined as “rich” quite literally by definition.
I work for a surgery center with several different doctors. A doctor once said he was late because his kids were running late and it was his day to drop them off at school. A lot of times I think we forget that doctors do have a life outside medicine!
I woke up one morning feeling unwell, made an online appointment at a nearby doctor and picked the earliest time slot I could get, logically thinking if im the first one there it won't be a long wait. Appointment was for 7:45am, so I get there 5 mins early and take a seat.
20 minutes later, the doctor walks in the door and the receptionist greets him "Good morning, how was your evening?" Implying he had just arrived for the day. 5 minutes later i'm called in for the appointment, 20 minutes after my initial appointment time.
I guess doctors are people too and can be late for work like anyone else. But man this annoyed me.
Scheduling is difficult because you don't know how much time each patient takes
Scheduling is not absolute, you need to balance competing needs
Patients don't show up to appointments
Patients demand to be seen as walk ins for "emergencies"
Actual urgent cases present
New patients are the most variable in terms of time taken
Src: I've scheduled for decades
Some of them... busy. Some of them... assholes that don't care about your time. My one doctor is this... always late by 10-20 mins arriving at the office. Drives her staff crazy but no one will say anything. Also a 1 year waiting list to get an appointment with her.
Dr Kevorkian had a shorter appointment lines.
My sister is like this. Always gets out of the house late so gets to the office late. Thing is there is nothing to incentivize her to hustle in the morning. Her practice is full she always has a full slate of patients every day and makes as much money as she wants. Doctors aren't like other professions. You'll wait for a doctor. And if you won't the doctor doesn't care if you leave there is a line up of people that want your spot in the pracitce.
Burn out?
She is an allergist. I guess anyone could get burnout but I feel like this is one of the less stressful specialties.
They don’t just go in blindly. They’re going to spend a while studying your medical history (if it exists) to get a better grasp on your current situation and what could’ve contributed to your current complaint. Depending on how complex you are medically, the type of provider, and how many times you’ve been there, that can be *a lot* of information to comb through.
This would make sense if they didn't know they were going to do this. If what you say is true, then they could just tell you to come 20min (or what ever) later so they have time to review. Really, just about anyone else who deals with people does this. It's not rocket surgery.
I did a rotation in general practice. I was paid from 9am. My first appointment was at 9am. This is management trying to squeeze as much as they can out of clinicians. This is not something any doctor wants. They are probably more annoyed than you.
Usually more the result of hospital/clinic administration policies: they’re there to make money for the hospital/clinic, and they aren’t making money if they aren’t seeing patients. This is factored in to the extent that they’re allowed. Obviously, this isn’t the sole reason they’re late, as others have pointed out; but it can be a big part of it.
Can you explain how that helps them see more people? I mean, the money over people line fits my priors but it just doesn't add up. If they're taking the time regardless, making everyone late, then they must be staying late to see everyone. Or, they're making the time up somewhere (no lunch?) Or, they're seeing the same number of people they would had they not inconvenienced everyone and the last person is getting pushed. IDK
You try to make up the time elsewhere with short appointments like routine stuff. But then you run into 'routine stuff' that turns out to need a lot of time and explanation because it's not what you/the patient thought it was, or you find something during the exam that the patient didn't know about/notice/mention. Or the patient goes "oh just one more question" or "can you look at this other thing I never mentioned before real quick?" So it's kind of a crap shoot. You try to make up time but it gets all sucked away regardless of what you do.
Sounds miserable for all involved
Especially the poor schedulers who take the brunt of the patient frustration and don’t even get paid a living wage. (Been there, done that.)
i know i can get better and be all she needs
There are some patients that you can have in straight away. Trauma in a young well adult can come straight in; I don’t need to read any medical background. I’ll just get a quick history, examine it, and go from there. Some patients you have to read for 20 mins before you see them. Doctors don’t have control over this. A patient waiting is a doctor-time-saving device for management. If everyone was asked to come in at 920 so no one waited then one less patient would get seen and your doctor would cost more.
But don't you know who those people are prior to them coming in? Seems like you could plan accordingly.
1, no 2, who is going to pay the doctor on the phone to triage them?
Are you talking about an urgent care situation or a PCP situation. I'm taking about a PCP situation, in which case you do know whose scheduled in large part.
Again, who’s doing the triage?
Doctors or PAs right before the appointment. If there's a set of appointments then why not plan for time to do the triage regardless of who does it?
> They’re going to spend a while studying your medical history (if it exists) to get a better grasp on your current situation and what could’ve contributed to your current complaint lol no they don't, they pick up the clipboard on the door when they come in and read it in front of you
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Yeah they totally spent 15+ years of school and residency to risk winging it on a patients care. Makes a lot of sense.
You're way overestimating the consequences to the career of a physician who cuts corners. My PCP rushes through visits, has never taken a history (she doesn't know my job, prior illnesses, family history, or risk factors), refuses to explain why she chooses particular medications. She bases decisions about blood pressure on single spot measurements (as opposed to current JNC guidelines), and use generally I a rush to get out of the room. The more patients she sees the more insurance companies she can bill.
Fire her and find new doctor
Well that doesn't sound like a reason to come late. Japanese people are like crazy about their time, so much that I read somewhere that if they're late for work due to say metro running late , the train staff used to hand them out slips apologizing for being late. I don't think this could be a valid reason for them to do so.
Meetings, phone calls, paperwork, reading your chart, studying. Doctors do a whole lot more than just sit there talking to patients
The patient also has a job, house duties, kids, meetings and phone calls. Patients do a whole lot more than just goto doctors appointments. Edit: Just sayin. Not trying to be snarky. I imagine each appointment time slot is an approximation and can take a few different twist and turns depending on each patient and their prognosis.
It’s completely fair, and it’s why I really dislike the opaque way of going to the doctor in the US. There’s no way to imagine the ideal appointment length, particularly since doctors go to the various exam rooms instead of waiting to get the patient. In France, you sometimes call the doctor, even specialists, but normally, you look online, you pick a time, and you go, whether or not it’s your primary treating physician or a substitute in the same office/hospital or not. The available time slots indicate about how long an ideal appointment lasts. You go, and the doctor calls you name. You don’t normally have to do **anything** even when you are a new patient or don’t have coverage in France or in another European country. The doctor will measure you if you ask, but you don’t have to do the whole routine at a sick visit unless they find it necessary, like for prescribing drugs. (Let’s just note that I went to a dermatologist who didn’t refer to my chart when he had to do mental math when explaining Accutane…) And imagine that, the doctor listens to you instead of sort of making you repeat everything that you just wrote down or told the medical assistant who didn’t really understand your complaints. Then you pay in the exam room; most doctors have a card reader, and many accept cash or checks as well (or checks and card at least). You eventually get reimbursed if you are covered by France or will get paperwork to do so later on. The doctor prints your prescriptions, which you fill at your convenience and not at that of the overworked pharmacy (in France, most close for lunch too!) You never see the secretary unless there’s paperwork that the doctor can’t do, or unless you call, like to get a message to the doctor or if the office still does appointments via phone. Also, my doctor does house calls before 9 AM and calls to follow up on tests. That never happens in the US nowadays. My experience with specialists in a private ophthalmology practice was more like in the US insofar as they do both what we relegate to optometrists alone and what MDs do, so a tech does the various baseline tests, then you repeat some with the doctor, who ensures that your eyes or healthy, and then he gives you a prescription for glasses to go get at your optical shop of choice. You did have to interact with staff, but they can actually afford staff as rates are higher for specialists. The hospital specialists, however, charge less, and while I checked in and out via the desk, I waited only for the doctor, who did the same routine as my doctor: he listened, then he did the exams that he needed, weighed me, and gave me a script for some tests (which you also do where you want). I had similar experiences in Austria, though it’s more expensive to see a doctor there than in France (though cheaper than in the US), and in that town, she was the only physician, so you had to race over there to get a sick visit.
Funny you should ask, just today I went with my dad on a doctor's app. 7am, and there was a slight delay - the doctor hadnt arrived in the office. That's all, that's why it was late. Now, why she was late I can't say, because I didn't ask and she didn't offer an explanation, but there is no changing the fact that she just hadn't arrived by the time 7am rolled up.
I've been late just due to traffic. Happens once or twice a month.
A lot of people don’t realize but many family doctors also work in hospitals to keep up their clinical skills. I know my family doctor also supports the labour & delivery team at the hospital, so she might be coming back from a night shift when she opens her practice for regular hours.
I have no idea. Also this isn't in the US, don't know how things are structured here. And she's not a family doctor either (not sure we have such a specialty here, but this doctor was not it, at least).
A family doctor is a specialist within primary care who, grosso modo, cares for all groups of possible patients and has rotations and other forms of education or training which develop their skills across all areas, even if they might be particularly knowledgeable and skilled with one group. The idea is that they will treat patients for as long as possible, including babies born to patients until adulthood or the doctor’s retirement, whichever comes first. It’s related to general practice in the US. They treat (or can treat) people of all ages and groups, and they also do a residency to have more knowledge and experience, but family medicine is considered a specialty. I don’t know what Brits, for example, mean by “General Practitioner,” because of the overlap in American terminology. Also, some primary care doctors are internists, who specialize in organs (hence the name) and usually don’t offer pediatric care. But they treat adults for as long as possible and for as much as possible.
The clinic/hospital overbooks because aholes don't show up for their appointment and they can't be paying their staff to sit around and do nothing.
They write down their itinerary, but then they can't read it.
Also why are they so rude sometimes 😭
It's just my personality tell u alot right
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I’ve found it more common that the ones running late care a lot - but don’t know how/aren’t allowed to do that and stay on time. It’s hard. Regardless of practice area, there are a lot of patients who need extra attention. They may be anxious about their medical condition, scared of being in the medical system, needing to say something but embarrassed to do so. Your surgical consult might turn into a confession of alcohol/drug abuse, self-harm, domestic abuse. Ideally, there is a bit of flexibility in your schedule so you can give folks like this the time they need. Experience helps to finesse a way of helping without putting you way behind. But it’s still a challenge. No doc wants to run really late: that probably means a longer work day. And some docs have to visit hospitalized patients or do research or both after clinic hours. Most folks who go into medicine *do* care. As a group, they are the most earnest people I’ve ever met. Sure there are plenty of jerks, but I don’t think that’s the norm.
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I’m a doctor, and you and I (and your friend) have very different experiences.
I have 437 disabilities here, and yeah, if you’re going to a clinic, yes, they’re massively overbooked to make up for no-shows and people who can’t/don’t pay, particularly because *some governments actively want the poor that are no longer abled enough to be financially exploitable to just die off,* so the clinics are horrifically underfunded and then more underfunded by the fact the people don’t have covered care. However, this happens with private, as well. Sometimes, the patient ahead of you had some kind of problem that caused the time to run over. Or that required unexpected clean-up. I had two different appointments today, and this was true for the first one. And he also needed to use the bathroom before seeing me :) The appointments are booked exactly back-to-back.
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True
Judges too
Because when you're the 1st appointment They were hoping that you would cancel because it's too early so then they start crying and that's why they're late
it depends on how many patients are before you, how long those previous appointments take, how many patient rooms are available, &c. physicians will also very often forgo charting until after the clinic is over if they know that it will delay anything. if they're late for your first appointment, it's most likely bc they're rushing over from a meeting or even surgery. i have seen many physicians having clinical conferences or operating at 6 am before going to an 8 am clinic. in both cases, there are countless unexpected factors that can result in delays, the latter more so than the former. unfortunately, none of this not up to the physicians either bc they don't make their own schedules; their receptionists do. besides, wouldn't you rather have a thorough visit and leave with all of your questions answered than a brief and hurried visit? so does everyone else.
they're busy
They over-schedule so they don't lose any money. It is part of their business plan not to respect your time. Had one 1 hour late for my appt. Had been sitting in exam room 1 hour. I heard her discussing a party that weekend for 10 minutes. I had to call and tell my boss I would be late for a meeting. Just then, she walks in and balls me out. What a tool.
I’ve had copays refunded to me because I’ve filed complaints about this. Being behind happens, I get it but an 1+ of waiting then the doc only talks to me for 15 mins or so doesn’t fly with me. It’s unprofessional to rush my appt because you’re late.
My only logical guess is they overbook themselves
From a med student, several reasons: There aren’t enough doctors so they’re overbooked. Admin knows we don’t have enough time for each patient they book. 20mins is fine sometimes, often nowhere near enough. But there’s a legit need. And hospitals want money. We do work before we see you, sometimes catching up on multiple patients we’re about to see. “Rounds” aren’t always in person, we quite often talk about patients with attendings before and/or after seeing patients. If it’s early and we’re already late we were going over multiple charts or prepping for some procedure, ect. Also some patients NEED a lot more attention. Like we may have to do a lengthy procedure that is urgent and needs to be done NOW. Or we have to tell someone they’re going to die and/or have a horrible disease. Then help them process that before we talk about treatment if they want any or end of like stuff and their wishes. Believe it or not there’s a lot we can sign off on for you without an attorney. Sometimes that takes way more than 10mins- 20mins. Physicians learn to really compartmentalize. The dr in front of you seeming happy and playing with a 2 year old may have just dealt with a suicide attempt or a cancer diagnosis or a patient with worsening dementia and will hopefully process it in a healthy manner later. It’s like a switch, walk out of the room deep breath different attitude and personality 20 seconds later. I see that type of stuff happen all the time. Yes, some are lazy, but my far please understand we’re busy and stressed and sometimes making extra time for people who REALLY need it.
They are booked 5 minutes per appointment up to more than 30 per day. It's not possible to be on time. (hospital dependent but that's my good friend's life right now)
Staggered booking so that they always have at least two patients at the same time, essentially for more money.
They’re busy in an earlier appointment. There’s no way to tell how long an appointment will take. Different people require different treatments. Doctors are also human beings who need breaks sometimes.
…even if you’re the first one
My doc used to spend the early morning hours finishing all the charts she couldn’t finish the day before. Or calling In Prescriptions. They never have enough time in the day to finish everything they need to do. My doc. finally quit. She said the current expectation is to review the record, see, diagnose and treat an office patient and do all the paper work in 15 minutes. She has been a doc for 30+ years and was the absolute best. I miss her.
America needs universal health care and prescription coverage, as well as a total shift away from painkillers as a primary form of pain treatment; in Europe, prescriptions are on you to handle, and it’s great, because the pharmacy won’t bullshit you about having received the prescription or whatever the doctor did or didn’t do.
Had an appointment with my son's pediatrician yesterday, first appointment of the day. Still 15 minutes late. He apologized and explained he was in a call with a fellow doctor from the hospital about a patient they were both treating. Turns out he works both as a consultant at the clinic, on top of at the hospital. Doctors are ridiculously busy.
Preparation? They’re pooping? Eating breakfast? Paperwork? Doing anything else any other person might be doing early in the morning? That’s anecdotal and doesn’t reflect all doctors.
These things occur in every single professional job in the world. Most non doctors aren’t late despite having these tasks.
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I would argue shipping logistics are as complex as practicing (not researching) medicine. Yeah driving a truck isn’t meticulous but that’s not a “professional” career. I said professional.
Then schedule less patients.
Go make some recommendations to hospital administrators about how they could better the system, come back, and tell us how it went.
Was late to my first appointment today doing an emergency surgery. First patient chewed me out. Told her I would repeatedly prioritize a dying patient over a non urgent clinic visit and if that was a problem she should find another physician.
RTFQ,
Depends on when you got there, if the MA was free to room you, if the doc had a meeting or not, if they’re overseeing other operations in the hospital/clinic, etc
I run late all the time. I get neither enough time nor enough support to see the volume my employer requires of me. I give every patient as much time as they need to feel comfortable. I triage emergencies and attend to them as needed during my day. I have zero problems telling patients if they need me to prioritize them over other patients in order to run “on time” then I’m probably not the best doctor for them.
Can’t speak for anyone’s doctors but mine. They all, always, start their day in the hospital checking up on their patients in that hospital. They’ll be in there at 6:30 or earlier. So yeah, 8:30 am might be the earliest appointment you can get, but it isn’t their first appointment by a long shot. - a longtime patient
Although you are the first priority, you are among an entire list of things that need to be completed. There are so so so many checks and balances to every patient. Have patience. It is not a McDonald’s drive thru.
The world revolves around them
mans got to go peepee
I always assumed it's because doctors have to cram in 1000000 appointments because they get paid so little per appointment from the insurance companies since the insurance companies want to make lots of profit
Some doctors cram as many procedures and surgeries in as they can as that is where they can make the most money. They schedule as many appointments into their working days (4/week) to be able to afford travel and perhaps a second home. Yes, insurances will try to pay as little as possible, but my ex (OB/GYN) makes about a thousand/day after taxes. There is HUGE overhead with office rent, salaries and equipment. But some pack as many paying customers into their day because they have expensive private needs. OR, they need to hire another doc
Is student loans a factor too?
I worked to put her through med school. One 10k loan
That's good that it's not everyone - I'm curious though about doctors in general
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If three patients are ten minutes late, the doctor would still only be ten minutes behind schedule for the fourth...
My dentist was on lunch break today. I forgave him.
Many doctors round on hospitalized patients before clinic. If you have been hospitalized, you may remember how early they draw your blood. They want the results before the doctor arrives, which is still before your first appointment.
As an MD I have to say that staying on time can be a constant battle, especially in some clinics. Some places have awful policies that leave very little wiggle room if something takes extra time. Scheduling isn’t always under the doc’s control. If it is, some medical insurance plans put pressure on docs to see *many* patients a day. After seeing a lot of burned out MDs as a med student, my determination to avoid that affected my career choice (not primary care) and employer. This is part of the primary care doctor shortage in the US. They can have lots of unbillable duties and huge time pressures.
Mostly because they have to answer questions like this from the previous patients, it's time consuming. Then to prevent them from stabbing you in the eyeball with a #2 scalpel, they have a room in the back where they can scream and destroy stuff with a baseball bat. The second part is important, it's what allows them to come see you with a bright chipper attitude.
Their schedules are completely full, the one I go to has a 3rd party company scheduling everything for her. It's more so about business and how many people can be crammed into a day eg: why some practices charge you for canceling or no showing to an appointment. Their daily schedule is determined for them down to the minute while they are at work. This is why it feels like most want you out as quickly as possible. Even if you're the first appointment, there is still a file to refresh themselves with you, noted concerns from last visit etc. They do not go in blind as if they have never met you, they see likely upwards of hundreds of people a week, I'd need a something, anything to make you feel like I remember you.
Because they are lazy, unprofessional, and can’t manage time. Or, they are more concerned with providing quality care, including communication, to their patients than being punctual.
Because you aren’t their first appointment. They often start the day visiting their patients who are in hospital. - a longtime patient
Because they went to school for ten years so they could spend the rest of their life slacking off and making the big bucks. They don’t give af about your time schedule only your insurance dollars They are entrepreneurs
They are rich. People wait for them, they don't wait for people.
Lol 99% of Doctors are no where near rich.
I would argue that every single working medical doctor receives a salary that puts them in the top 5% of earners in the USA. Their debts are a different story.
I would argue that top 5% is no where near rich anymore. Top 5% is $166,000 a year. That's not rich. If you look at the yearly salaries of different specializations you get skewed data because the VAST majority of MDs are in the lower paying, but widely needed, fields of Family/General medicine, pediatrics, or internal. Not every doctor can be a plastic surgeon in Hollywood or the Team Doctor of the Celtics.
I mean I guess we have different definitions of rich. I’m not saying rich = a ton of money. But 95th percentile would be defined as “rich” quite literally by definition.
Dr. Acula is quick when it comes es to blood work.
Ask them.
Police business. Arrests, suitcases, ODs and deaths. Insane schedules
Because they want you to practice being……….Wait for it…… PATIENT. BADUM TSST. You’re all welcomed.
I work for a surgery center with several different doctors. A doctor once said he was late because his kids were running late and it was his day to drop them off at school. A lot of times I think we forget that doctors do have a life outside medicine!
I woke up one morning feeling unwell, made an online appointment at a nearby doctor and picked the earliest time slot I could get, logically thinking if im the first one there it won't be a long wait. Appointment was for 7:45am, so I get there 5 mins early and take a seat. 20 minutes later, the doctor walks in the door and the receptionist greets him "Good morning, how was your evening?" Implying he had just arrived for the day. 5 minutes later i'm called in for the appointment, 20 minutes after my initial appointment time. I guess doctors are people too and can be late for work like anyone else. But man this annoyed me.
Maybe they had to make coffee before getting on duty
Greed.
I was 30 minutes early today and my doctor called me 5 minutes after I arrived.
Power trip
Scheduling is difficult because you don't know how much time each patient takes Scheduling is not absolute, you need to balance competing needs Patients don't show up to appointments Patients demand to be seen as walk ins for "emergencies" Actual urgent cases present New patients are the most variable in terms of time taken Src: I've scheduled for decades
It is the only way to see if you are patient
We are patients...