Introduction
One of the most important decisions that a patient will make is which family practitioner, general internist or pediatrician will be his or her primary care physician. This physician will be literally the "conductor of the orchestra." This doctor will be responsible for approximately 90% of the care of the patient while seeking appropriate consultations with specialists if he or she feels that the medical problem is beyond the realm of his or her expertise.Education
Physicians are required to attend medical school for four years to obtain their doctorate of medicine. Following this, nearly all physicians will attend special hospital based training known as a residency program. This is usually three to five years depending on medical specialty. Those physicians who choose to sub specialize will attend a two to three year fellowship after completion of a residency program. While I know many foreign trained physicians that are excellent, you should try to choose an American trained primary care physician as it is widely acknowledged that the American medical training programs are the finest in the world. After specialty training, physicians should pass testing for board certification. This board certification is not required to practice medicine, but is a good indicator of your physician's fund of knowledge.
Bedside MannerProbably second only to training, this is what differentiates an average physician from a superior one. As a patient, this is one quality that you should be able to recognize almost immediately. Does your doctor listen to your questions or is he or she constantly interrupting you? Is the physician sympathetic? Can the physician communicate clearly without using confusing terminology? Keep in mind that you will have to trust this physician with your life, so a strong patient-physician relationship is essential.
ConclusionYour primary care physician will need the best possible training to contend with the complexities of medicine as outlined above, but you must also feel a certain compatible "chemistry " between you and your doctor.
Lloyd Ito, MD
6/30/96