My doctor is so young!
This month’s Ask Ron Villano question focuses on how to navigate transitioning to a younger health care provider.
Dear Ron:
I guess I have reached the age that the doctors I have seen for most of my adult life are now heading into retirement. The colleagues which they are pointing me toward all seem so young and cannot possibly have gone through what I’ve been through. It seems like they don’t know me or my medical history and I’m starting over from scratch. But yet, I would have to do that anyway if I were to leave the practice and most likely not get the experienced providers anyway. How should I get past this situation? – Crossroads Patient.
Dear Crossroads:
Seeing the professionals which you have known a long time getting older is another getting older fact of life. So how about approaching this time as an opportunity to embrace the change and see these “new” providers as ones who can offer a fresh approach. While popular opinion is that medical professionals will treat you better if they have personally experienced the issue you are facing, this approach may not always give you the best outcome. Objectivity is greatly beneficial to avoid any type of inadvertent conflict or unintentional bias that a provider may have from their personal experiences. So, move forward with the new docs – young or old — and evaluate them their presentation, willingness to communicate with you, ability to answer your questions and be attentive to your needs.
Additional Tips:
- Make sure to pursue answers to your questions even if the provider seemed to be a bit “hurried” or “busy.” This is one of the best ways to build rapport.
- Give the new provider a few appointments to help you both “settle in” to your care.
- Allow yourself to approach the transition with an open book approach to help you keep your options open.
