How To Make The Most of a Doctor's Appointment
a step-by-step guide to a valuable visit with your healthcare provider.
Let’s cut to the chase— for many of us, visiting the doctor can be an experience of anxiety, frustration, and confusion.😅
And I get it!
While I’m personally quite comfortable in the medical realm given my education and experience, I can still sometimes relate to the feelings of nerves & frustration surrounding an appointment.
No matter how you spin it— going to the doctor, even for a checkup, can be stressful and confusing. But it doesn’t have to be that way…
So today I’m going to share my best “insider” tips on how to truly get the most out of your doctor's appointment, no matter what you’re bringing into the exam room.
When it comes to your typical medical appointment, you may encounter some common barriers ⬇️
Feeling that they don’t allocate enough time for you.
The impression that your concerns or symptoms aren't taken seriously.
Frustration arising when they simply prescribe a pill, whereas you would prefer starting with lifestyle changes.
Frequently experiencing intimidation and nervousness during the appointment (and within the medical system in general).
Often departing with a sense of confusion, a lack of clarity, or the feeling that your concerns weren’t genuinely addressed.
In this post, I’m going to break down all of those^^ barriers and give you actionable steps (and even some phrases!) that you can utilize to truly make the most of your face time with your doctor.
I will also provide some behind-the-scenes insight into WHY your provider might seem rushed, inconsiderate, or distracted, during your appointment. Hint: it’s often not actually THEIR fault.
Now, while we can’t control how our provider acts— we can control how WE show up to the appointment. I really want this post to empower you to show up for your side of the bargain of a productive appointment…
Let’s do this!
We’ve all been there (me included…)
Picture it: you’ve been feeling X symptom, it’s starting to really bother you, and when you FINALLY mention it to your doctor, they… brush it to the side.
Womp, womp.
Here are few key things you can do (and say!) in this situation…