a visit to a doctor

Getting the Most Out of Your Doctor Appointment

Last Updated March 2023 | This article was created by familydoctor.org editorial staff and reviewed by Kyle Bradford Jones, MD, FAAFP

Taking an active role in your health care can help you get the best care possible from your doctor. One way to do this is to make sure you get the most out of your office visit by preparing ahead of time and creating an agenda for your visit with your doctor. When you prepare for your appointment ahead of time, both you and your doctor will find the visit more helpful. Here are some tips you can follow for what to do before, during, and after your visit with your doctor. These tips can help you and your doctor work together to improve your health.

Path to improved health

Be prepared.

Usually, you will only have about 15 minutes of time with your doctor. To make sure you and your doctor get the most out of your time, be sure to think about your visit ahead of time.  Think about your concerns and questions. Write these things down before your visit. Make a list and bring it to your visit. With a list, you won’t have to worry about remembering everything you need to tell your doctor. Here are a few things you might consider before your visit:

• Think about concerns and questions you have for your family doctor. Write these down. Start first with what is most important to you and end with the least important. Bring the list to your visit. Be ready to work with your doctor to reorder your list, if needed.
• If you are a new patient, bring as much information as possible with you to help your new doctor learn your health history. If you are not a new patient, you only need to bring information with you that is new or has changed since your last visit with your doctor.
• Write down your health history. You can create a “health journal” for yourself on paper or on your computer. Your health journal can include things like health problems you have or have had, blood pressure numbers, recent symptoms, food eaten, or a sleep diary. Bring the journal or health history to your appointments.
• Take any X-rays, test results, or medical records you have. Your doctor can look at these to learn more about your health history.
• Make a list of all the medicines you take, including when and how often you take the medicine. Include the strength of the medicine (for example, do you take 150 mg or 200 mg?). The list should also include any vitamins or supplements you take.
• Talk to your family members to see if they can come with you to your appointment to listen, take notes, and ask questions.
• If you will need an interpreter for your appointment, call your doctor’s office to let them know ahead of time.

Be sure to take your lists with you to your visit. The  Today’s Visit Form  or  Patient Pre-Visit Checklist  can help you with preparing for your visit with your doctor.

Talk to your doctor

When you talk to your doctor, follow these steps to make sure you and your doctor get the most out of your time together.

Go over your lists

Even though it’s hard, talk about the issues that are embarrassing or scary at the beginning of your visit. This will give your doctor plenty of time to address them. Your doctor is not there to judge you but to help you. Be honest.

Be sure to tell your doctor about any current and past health care issues or concerns. It’s important to share any information you can, even if you’re embarrassed. Give your doctor the following information during the exam:

• Your symptoms
• Personal information, such as stress or changes in your life
• Any medicines you are taking, including supplements
• Any side effects you are experiencing from your medicine(s). Be sure to tell your doctor if your medicine makes you feel sick or if you think you may be allergic to it. Also let them know if you are having trouble paying for your medicine. Your family doctor may be able to help find different medicines for you to take or explain why the ones you are taking are the right choice.

Ask questions

Don’t be afraid to speak up during your appointment. It’s important for you to let your doctor know if you don’t understand something. If you don’t ask questions, your doctor will think you understand everything. Here are some tips on asking your doctor questions:

• Ask every time you don’t understand something.
• If you can’t understand what your doctor is explaining, ask them to explain it in better detail, possibly using pictures or brochures.

Here are some good starter questions you can ask your doctor:

• What do my symptoms mean?
• Should I be tested for a disease or condition?
• What caused this condition?
• How serious is the condition?
• How is it treated?
• Are there any side effects to the treatment?
• How long will treatment take?
• How will this condition affect my life now and in the future?

If you run out of time, make a plan to get the rest of your questions answered.

• Tell your doctor when you need more time to talk about something. If the doctor isn’t available to help, you should be able to talk to an assistant or a nurse. If no one else is available, see if you can schedule another appointment to ask the rest of your questions.

Take information home with you

Taking written or recorded information home with you can be helpful. It can help you remember information and instructions any time you need to. Your doctor is a good source of accurate information you can trust. The following are types of information you can take home with you:

• Notes you have taken during the appointment. It’s ok for you to write down the information your doctor gives you. Sometimes it helps to bring a friend or family member with you. They can help write down the answers to your questions and other information shared by the doctor or nurse. You can also ask your doctor to write down notes for you.
• Written instructions from your doctor. These should be provided to you at the end of your appointment.
• A tape recording. Ask your doctor if it’s okay for you to record to the appointment to help you correctly remember everything.
• Brochures or other educational materials. If there aren’t any available, ask where or how you can get some.

Things to consider

Make sure to follow any instructions you and your doctor discussed during the visit. This could include taking medicine, preparing for a test, or scheduling an appointment with a specialist. If you’re confused or if you’ve forgotten some information, it’s okay to contact your doctor. The following are some common reasons you may need to call your doctor or send an electronic message after your appointment:

• If you have any questions after the appointment. Ask to leave a message with the doctor or speak with a nurse.
• If you start to feel worse or have problems with your medicine
• If you had tests and haven’t got the results

National Institute of Health, MedlinePlus: Make the most of your doctor visit

Last Updated: March 10, 2023

This article was contributed by familydoctor.org editorial staff.

Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians

This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

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Health, Illness and Disease Vocabulary

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Common Illnesses and Diseases in English

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• Patient Symptoms

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pain feeling in your body when you have been hurt or when you are ill,sick

• Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her neck, shoulder, waist, arm, leg, stomach.
• Take an aspirin to relieve the pain .

ache continuous pain; feel a continuous pain

• I can’t sleep because my head aches too bad.
• I have a terrible headache,   backache,   stomach-ache .

ill suffering from an illness or disease; not feeling well; sick

• My elder sister is seriously ill in St John’s hospital.
• The children started to feel ill an hour after the meal.

sick physically or mentally ill; wanting to vomit

• I feel very sick , I don’t think I can work today.
• Be careful with the cake, too much of it can make you sick .

sore painful (and often red) because of infection or because a muscle has been used too much

• I have a sore throat, I mustn’t take that cold drink.
• She says her stomach is still sore after the operation.
• His feet were sore after the bicycle trip.

illness the state of being physically or mentally ill

• Our secretary missed a lot of work through illness last month.
• Flu can be a serious illness if you aren’t careful enough.

disease serious illness, often caused by infection

• Peter’s uncle suffers from a rare blood disease .
• A fatty diet increases the risk of heart disease .
• The government is planning further health measures to prevent the spread of disease .

heal become healthy again; make something, somebody healthy again, make somebody feel happy again

• As I see it will take a long time for your wounds to heal .
• This ointment will help to heal your scratches.
• The tea you made really healed me.

cure make somebody or something healthy again after an illness; make an illness go away

• He was seriously ill for a long time, but the doctor cured him at last.
• Scarlet fever is a serious illness, but it can be cured fairly fast.

cure medicine or medical treatment that cures an illness; the act of curing or the process of being cured

• There is no known cure for this illness but the it can be treated.
• I’m afraid you must be taken to hospital for the cure .

treat give medical care or attention to somebody or something; deal with something or somebody

• I was treated for flu, but later I was diagnosed with pneumonia.
• This illness is usually treated with antibiotics and a strict diet. .

treatment (the way or process of) curing an illness or injury or making somebody look and feel good; the way of dealing with something or somebody

• Doctors apply various treatments for this illness.
•  My sister goes to a wellness centre to receive beauty treatments .

diagnose define what an illness or the cause of a problem is

• The blood test is used to diagnose all kinds of diseases.
• She was diagnosed (as) (a) diabetic in her early childhood.

diagnosis medical description of an illness or condition

• The doctors didn’t share every detail of the diagnosis with the patient’s family.
• We had to wait a lot for the exact diagnosis after the examination.

injury harm done to the body, for example in an accident

• They were lucky to escape the fight without serious injuries .
• There were only minor injuries in the crash.

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injure harm somebody or yourself physically, especially in an accident, receive/suffer an injury

• He injured his finger when he was cutting the meat.
• Nobody was killed in the accident, but two people were seriously injured .

wound an injury to part of the body, especially one in which a hole is made in the skin

• He died from the wounds that he had received in the crash.
• He was taken to hospital although his wounds didn’t seem too serious.

cut a wound caused by something sharp

• He had such a deep cut on his arm that he was taken to hospital.
• The victim had several cuts on his chest, still he survived.

bruise a blue, brown or purple mark on the skin after somebody has fallen

• He was covered in bruises at the end of the football match.
• The man came to the surgery with a huge bruise over his eye.

scratch rub your skin with your nails, usually because it’s itching; a mark or a small cut or injury made by scratching

• The cat continuously scratched itself behind the ear.
• She had a long scratch on her arm when she came out of the rose garden.

infection illness caused by bacteria or a virus; the act or process of causing or getting a disease

• Wash your hands carefully to decrease the risk of infection .
• She almost died from blood infection .

inflammation a condition when a part of the body becomes red, sore and swollen because of infection or injury

• My knee was twice the size of the other one due to the inflammation .
• You had better not eat fatty food so soon after your stomach inflammation .

symptom a change in your body or mind that shows that you are not healthy

• You don’t necessarily need a doctor with symptoms like a headache or sore throat.
• Depression can cause physical symptoms , too.

temperature the measurement of how hot your body is

• have a temperature – when your temperature is higher than normal due to illness
• I feel so weak, I think I have a temperature .
• She had such a high temperature that she was immediately taken to hospital.

fever a medical condition in which someone has a temperature that is higher than normal; a particular type of disease with high temperature

• Did you take aspirin to reduce the fever ?
• Our daughter has been diagnosed with scarlet fever .

cold illness affecting the nose and/or throat, making you cough and/or sneeze

• I think I caught a cold on the ice rink yesterday.
• She can’t come to school, she’s in bed with a cold .

flu a very bad cold, an infectious disease with fever, pains and weakness

• Please don’t visit us this week, the whole family has the flu .
• If you’re not careful enough and you don’t take antibiotics, you may even die from the flu .

vomit discharge stomach contents through the mouth

• There must have been something wrong with the food as both children vomited shortly after the meal.
• I’m afraid I’m pregnant; I vomit after getting up every morning.

medicine a substance that you drink or swallow so as to cure an illness

• You look so pale. Haven’t you taken your medicine this morning?
• The doctor prescribed three kinds of medicine for me.

antibiotics medicine that kills bacteria and cures infections

• My mum’s throat infection went away after she started the antibiotics .
• Hot tea won’t be enough to cure your flu, I think you also need antibiotics .

pain killer kind of medicine that takes away some or all of the discomfort of an illness or injury

• I had such a horrible headache last night that I took two pain killers .
• She says she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to take pain killers too often.

blood pressure the rate at which blood flows through the body

• Drink some coffee if you feel your blood pressure is too low.
• High blood pressure increases the risk of having a heart attack.

pulse the regular beat of blood as it is sent around the body

• The doctor started the examination with taking my pulse and blood pressure.
• He has such a weak pulse that it’s hard to feel.

x-ray a photograph of a somebody’s bones and organs

• They took x-rays of my knee to make sure it wasn’t broken.
• The doctor says that the x-ray has proved his suspicion of cancer, but I don’t believe him.

patient a person staying in a hospital or medical facility

• The doctor examined the patient very carefully but he didn’t find any disorder.
• There were so many patients in the doctor’s surgery that I didn’t wait and I went home.

surgery a place where a doctor or dentist sees patients; medical treatment of injuries or diseases involving cutting open somebody’s body

• I wanted to see a doctor but the surgery was closed.
• I hope they can cure me with medicine and I don’t need undergo surgery .

operation cutting open a part of somebody’s body in order to remove or cure a part

• The operation was successful but the patient died.
• The doctor says I can hardly escape an operation .

operate on somebody (for something) cut open a part of somebody’s body in order to remove or cure a part

• He soon recovered after he was operated on for appendicitis.
• The doctor ordered to take my brother to hospital and they will operate on him tomorrow.

operating theatre a room in a hospital used for medical operations

• The patient died on the way to the operating theatre .
• She felt nervous as she looked round the operating theatre .

chemist’s (shop) a shop where medicine is sold

• The doctor suggested to go to the chemist’s for the medicine straight from the surgery.
• This syrup is also sold in the supermarket, so you don’t need to go to the chemist’s .

prescription an official piece of paper filled out by a doctor with which you can get medicine from a chemist’s shop

• Unfortunately, the doctor forgot to sign the prescription and so the chemist refused to give me the medicine.  
• Keep this prescription even though you don’t need the medicine now; you may need it later. 

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Illness expressions

• feel ill, sick
• have a temperature
• have a pain in your back, chest, waist, arm, shoulder
• have a headache
• suffer from stomach cramps
• have a black eye
• have a swollen, sprained ankle, wrist, foot
• have a lump
• have a broken leg
• have a fracture
• burn, cut a finger
• sprain an ankle
• be allergic to antibiotics
• produce an allergic reaction
• come down with a cold
• be in bed with a cold
• have a heart attack, stroke
• suffer from asthma, malnutrition, diabetes
• fight cancer, depression, addiction, alcoholism
• (go to) see a doctor
• examine a patient
• take, feel your pulse
• take, measure your temperature
• diagnose an illness, disease
• diagnose a condition, disorder
• prescribe medicine
• make up a prescription
• take someone to hospital
• undergo an examination, operation
• dress a wound
• a bandaged arm, leg
• put on a plaster
• give an injection
• have a blood test
• prevent the spread of disease
• enhance, build immunity to a disease

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• scarlet fever
• tonsillitis
• indigestion
• appendicitis
• heart attack
• heart disease
• lung cancer
• nervous breakdown

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• tranquilizer
• pain-killer
• antifebrile
• elastic tape
• thermometer
• stethoscope
• syringe, forceps, scissors, oxygen mask, test tube, vial, IV bag, blood pressure monitor, crutches, wheelchair

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Nurse: doctor’s assistant Allergist:  treats food and environmental allergies Anaesthesiologist:  provides pain prevention during surgery Cardiologist:  heart specialist Dentist:  tooth specialist Dermatologist:  skin specialist Gynecologist:  specializes in women’s needs Midwife:  helps women deliver babies Neurologist:  brain specialist Oncologist:  tumour specialist Ophthalmologist:  deals with eye diseases Pediatrician:  treats babies and children Physical therapist:  specializes in the body’s movement Psychiatrist:  mental health specialist Radiologist:  specializes in imaging tests (x-ray, etc.)

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Going to Doctor

• I think you should see a doctor.
• You look very pale. Shall I call the ambulance?
• I’m ill. I don’t feel well. I need a doctor. I must see a doctor.
• Doctor Bulb’s surgery hours are from 9 to 12 every morning.
• Where do I find the GP’s office? (general practitioner – a doctor who is trained in general medicine working in the local community)
• What are the consulting hours of the ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist?
• Do I have to make an appointment?
• What’s the matter? Where’s the pain? What do you complain of?
• Have you taken your temperature?
• For how long have you been feeling ill?
• Take your clothes off. I’ll examine you. Let me take your pulse, please.
• I’ll measure your blood pressure.
• Your blood pressure is rather high. Your blood pressure is too low.
• Let me sound your back. Take a deep breath. I’ll check your lungs.
• Can I have a look? Where does it hurt?
• Does it hurt here? Breath out slowly.
• Show me your tongue. Poke out your tongue.
• Have you got any other symptoms?
• What infectious diseases have you had?
• What have you eaten/drunk?
• Have you been injured?
• Don’t worry. There’s no serious problem.
• I don’t think it’s too serious.
• You’ve got to be vaccinated against tetanus.
• You must stay in bed and take this medicine three times a day, after meals.
• I’ll dress the wound and put a plaster on your arm.
• You must follow a diet, you need to rest and you shouldn’t worry.
• Your test results have come in. The blood test came back negative.
• The biopsy shows a tumour.
• You should consult a specialist.
• We’ll know more in a few days.
• It would be better if you went to hospital.
• I think you’ll have to stay in hospital for a week.
• Hopefully, there won’t be any complications.
• I don’t think you need chemotherapy.
• I’ll give you a prescription. Take this medicine three times a day / after meals / an hour before lunch.
• You’ll soon be well again.
• Come back next week if you don’t feel better.

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Patient Symptoms 

• I’ve got a high temperature.
• I feel really rough. I’m shattered/exhausted.
• Could you check my blood pressure? I’ve got high blood pressure.
• There’s a sharp pain here. I’ve got a pain in my limbs.
• I feel dizzy. I’ve got a kidney problem. I’ve lost weight.
• I always feel bad after meals. I’ve got a stomach ache.
• I’ve got a splitting headache. I often have nosebleeds.
• I have diarrhoea. I’ve lost my appetite.
• I’ve got circulation problems. I sweat all night.
• My ears are buzzing. I’ve got an upset stomach.
• I’ve sprained my wrist/ankle. My hand/foot is badly swollen.
• I think I’ve pulled a muscle in my leg/arm.
• I’ve had scarlet fever, mumps, the measles.
• Is it something serious? Is this a common problem at my age?
• When will the tests results come in? Are you going to run more tests?
• Do I have to be operated on? Will I need surgery?
• How long do I have to stay in hospital?
• I hope there won’t be any complications.
• Could you prescribe some medicine for me?
• How often should I take this medicine?
• Shall I come back next week if I don’t get better?
• I’ve got a pain in my back teeth and my gum is bleeding.
• I’ve lost a filling. My denture’s broken.
• Does the tooth have to be extracted or can you replace the filling?
• Would you make up this prescription for me?
• Shake well before use. Not to be taken orally.
• Can I get a packet of vitamin tablets?

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• Pain Management

5 Ways to Make the Most of a Doctor’s Appointment Right Now

By Bonnie Darves

It’s Monday at 11 a.m., and you have a visit set for 3 p.m. with your primary physician . You plan to ask your doctor about a recent knee injury and intermittent headaches, but you only mentioned knee pain when you made the appointment. You’ve put a reminder note in your cellphone to also mention the headaches, but that’s as far as you’ve gotten.

What’s wrong here? For one, you’ve only given your doctor part of the picture, and that means you’ll spend the first few minutes of the visit filling in the details before you and your doctor can start discussing a diagnosis and care plan. Second, the office is likely preparing for a single-issue visit and has allotted your doctor’s time accordingly.

Whether you’re making an appointment for your annual wellness check or a new health issue, preparing yourself—and the practice staff—in advance can help make the difference between a satisfying, productive medical visit and a frustrating one. Below, you’ll find some guidance for making the most of your doctor’s visit —whether it’s in person or virtual.

1. Think big picture about your health, not just your immediate needs.

Preparing a list of your health concerns for an annual visit or writing down details about a bothersome new symptom are good starting points. It can also be helpful to perform a brief health self-assessment to prioritize your medical concerns, says John Wasson , M.D., emeritus professor of community and family medicine and longtime researcher with the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Dr. Wasson helped to create the What Matters Index at How’s Your Health , a brief confidential questionnaire meant to help people identify various potential issues to discuss with their doctors.

Thinking through your overall health prior to your appointment in addition to your specific concerns can help increase your health-confidence level, which Dr. Wasson points to as an important aspect of navigating medical care. Health confidence is an indicator of how capable patients feel at managing their health conditions . Research has shown that higher health-confidence levels improve the engagement of patients in their care and the communication between doctor and patient during visits. Health confidence doesn’t exist in a vacuum—many factors can impact it, including your socioeconomic status and the quality of the care you receive. But spending time thinking about your health before your appointment may help you increase your health confidence and better advocate for your needs.

2. Brief the medical staff on your needs so they can allot enough time for your visit.

Most physician practices set aside an amount of time for your appointment that reflects the visit’s expected “complexity,” in health care terminology. An annual or preventive visit might be scheduled for 30 to 45 minutes, for instance, and a problem recheck—to see how a wound is healing or whether antibiotics knocked out an infection—for 10 to 15 minutes, Dr. Wasson explains. A new-problem visit, when the patient has requested an appointment for perhaps a skin rash or a possible urinary tract infection, might be allocated 15 or 20 minutes. A third type of visit is transactional—you’re going in for a test or procedure—and its length varies depending on the test or procedure in question. “If you use the What Matters Index, and you know how much time is allotted for your visit, then you might be able to detect and remedy a mismatch before you get there,” Dr. Wasson says.

By Katie Camero

By Julia Sullivan

By Jenna Ryu

It’s helpful to have some sense of what goes on behind the scenes in your doctor’s office if possible so that you can request the right type of visit. “Some organizations place constraints on the amount of time providers are given with each patient,” Matthew Goldman , M.D., a family medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, tells SELF. “Ideally, the more time the better. But because a lot of people are often seeking care from a single provider at a time, constraints must be placed to avoid long wait times.”

To avoid a mismatch between the practice’s expectations and your own, Dr. Goldman suggests preparing a list of concerns, prioritized by what’s most pressing, that you want your doctor to address. Ideally, you would share that information in advance with the scheduler or in a secure message via the online portal, if you have access to one. That helps ensure that you get the attention you need and deserve, Dr. Goldman says, by making the encounter as efficient as possible.

Even if you’re not able to share your list of concerns with the practice staff in advance, make sure you know how long your visit is supposed to be. “It’s helpful for the patient to ask, how long is this visit?” Mathew Devine , D.O., associate medicine professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York, and medical director of Highland Family Medicine, tells SELF. “They know they’re supposed to arrive at 11:45, but does that mean the visit is 15 minutes or 20 or 45 minutes? Patients should be aware of that.”

3. If possible, be extremely detailed when you brief the practice staff.

At a typical doctor’s office, the front-desk staff, nurses, and medical assistants are all key players in queueing up your visit. So let the staff help you by providing them as much detail as possible.

“By letting the schedulers, medical assistant, and nurses know what’s going on ahead of the visit, the physician has time to review the chart and focus on potential causes—medications or previous medical history, for example—that might be contributing to the patient’s concerns,” Dr. Goldman tells SELF. “I suggest that patients dedicate time to writing out their concerns and then, if possible, elaborate on each concern. Create a timeline or big picture of when the issue started and the treatments you’ve tried.”

The better informed the doctor is, the better the visit may go. Dr. Devine describes an “A+” experience involving a patient who’d been in an accident. The patient was managing several different health care providers and services, and the day before her visit, she sent, through the portal, an update on how she was doing and what she wanted to talk about in the visit. “I have the update and the agenda, so once we get in the room, I’m cooking,” Dr. Devine says. “It’s amazing when patients are prepared like that.” But it’s also unusual; in his experience, only 10% of patients prepare and bring a list to the visit. There are many valid reasons why it might not be possible for you to provide that kind of detailed update beforehand, such as a lack of time. But if you’re able to do this, it can be really helpful.

If the visit will be virtual , preparation is especially crucial. Try to make sure you have all pertinent information on hand and available to the doctor in advance. This includes not only your medications and a timeline of your concerns but also images of the area you’re having an issue with—if that’s applicable and doable. Ideally, it helps if you also access the virtual platform before the scheduled visit start time to make sure it's working smoothly, Dr. Goldman tells SELF. “Technical glitches can be a challenge, so ensuring a working connection, camera, and access to the application before the visit starts can help prevent issues when it is time for the visit,” he says.

4. Understand that your visit agenda and the doctor’s might differ.

If you show up with an eight-item list, the doctor might not be able to address all your concerns in one visit. Also, keep in mind that the doctor will want to focus on any potentially serious issue first. “Sometimes, my patient’s number one problem they want to talk about is different than mine,” Dr. Devine says. The patient might be worried about a spot on her skin that he can tell isn’t cancerous , he explains, but he wants to start with the unintended weight loss that the patient mentioned in the portal before the visit. “I want to make sure the patient gets to talk about their agenda items, but there are some things where we have to meet in the middle,” he says.

If the patient has 12 things on their list, Dr. Devine resets expectations. “I say, ‘I see that you have a lot of things you want to talk about, but we can probably only talk about three to five in this visit. Which things are really important to you that you want to make sure we talk about today?’” he says. “Then I pick a few things that are important to me to address, and we go from there.” If you’re not able to fit it all into one visit, ask your doctor if you can address the remaining issues in a subsequent one.

5. Be prepared to share everything that concerns you upfront.

There’s a phenomenon in physician-patient encounters, the “hand on the doorknob.” That’s when the doctor thinks the visit has concluded and is getting ready to leave the room, but the patient raises an issue they haven’t previously divulged. When that happens, it’s problematic for both parties. The “by the way” problem might be an important health issue that should have been addressed early in the visit. Or the doctor may simply be out of time. Either way, the situation can make for a less than satisfying visit.

Dr. Devine has developed a method for preventing that dilemma. At the start of the visit, he acknowledges the patient’s list, but then asks: Is there anything else? “If I don’t do that, I risk the hand on the doorknob,” he tells SELF. Even if your doctor doesn’t ask that type of question, try to remember how helpful it can be to bring up all of your concerns at the start of the visit instead of saving some for the end.

To ensure that your doctor’s visit is comprehensive, it’s also important to be prepared to discuss anything that’s concerning you—even something sensitive like possible exposure to sexually transmitted infections , Dr. Goldman advises. “These topics can be difficult to discuss for many potential reasons. I encourage patients to gather information on the topic to gain insight on potential causes, testing, and treatment options,” he says. “Oftentimes the office can provide this kind of information beforehand. Having a better understanding often helps reduce anxiety and stress.” If you want to do some online research into a health issue you’re having before you go to the doctor’s office, make sure you only use reliable sources such as the Mayo Clinic Symptom Checker , Dr. Wasson advises. (Or that you rely only on resources that draw from those kinds of sources.) It’s also worth asking if the practice can provide or direct you to information to review.

Finally, if you leave the office (or sign off from your appointment) and realize you’ve forgotten to ask about an issue, that’s okay. Get back in touch with your doctor’s office by calling or sending a message online. “That’s a great use for the portal. If you’re awake at 3 a.m. thinking about something you forgot, and you’re not having the worst chest pain of your life, send a note—and the nurse or doctor will get back to you,” Dr. Devine says. “Just remember that the portal isn’t for emergencies.”

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Tips For a Productive First Appointment With a New Doctor

• Health & Wellness

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So, you made the initial appointment with your new physician - that’s great! The next step is to show up at your scheduled time - maybe even a little early -  fully prepared.

In the days before your appointment, you can complete a few helpful tasks to make the day of your visit as stress free as possible. Start by writing down your medical history, noting the dates and locations of any surgeries.

"Some people are very organized with folders,” says  Jasreem Bhullar, M.D. , Beaumont family medicine physician. “It’s very helpful to at least come with lists for not just medical and family history, but also for what you’d like to achieve in the future, any referrals you might need, results from recent physicals and your vaccination record.”

Additionally, if you’re bilingual or don’t speak English, it’s important to find someone who is bilingual to go with you to your appointment, or make sure the physician you are seeing speaks your preferred language.

Along that same line, many physicians encourage new patients, especially if you’re elderly or have memory issues, to bring a trusted family member or friend with you to your appointment.

“A lot of times, adult children accompany their parents to make sure all the routine stuff is being done and their parents are taking their medications as prescribed. In those situations, family helps coordinate the care in ways your doctor sometimes cannot,” explains Dr. Bhullar. “Having a spouse in the room, especially if the patient is reluctant to be there, can help correct inaccurate information with recollections or not realizing they’re doing something, such as dizzy spells or snoring.”

Once you have prepared as much as you can, the day of your appointment you should bring a few things with you such as your insurance card, photo identification and if you’re bringing a minor to the office and you’re not the guardian, you’ll need to have a signed consent form.

If you take any medications, bring the actual bottle of box they come in from the pharmacy.

“A lot of times, people forget the name of their medication, how often they take it, or the dose. So, when they come in, we discover they’re taking it wrong,” Dr. Bhullar adds. “If we get the incorrect medication name and dose and enter it into the computer, that becomes a safety issue.”

Also, if you have any recent lab or imaging results, bring those, too. Physicians appreciate having more data about you, so they can compare previous results with current ones.

Finally, set reasonable expectations for the visit. If you have a complicated medical history or haven’t been to a doctor in years, your new physician will have more questions for you. In fact, the first visit can be just a chat without a physical evaluation. However, if you’re generally healthy, you might have time in that first visit for an actual yearly physical.

Getting off on the right foot with your doctor is important for your long-term relationship. Being open and honest as well as comfortable with your health care provider will be a benefit to you for years to come.

Next Steps and Helpful Resources

• Learn how to expertly find  a new primary care doctor.
• 4 reasons your teenager needs a primary care doctor.
• Schedule an appointment with primary care doctor near you .

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What Happens During a Wellness Visit?

Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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Importance of a Wellness Visit

• What to Expect
• How to Prepare

A wellness visit is a health check-up that is typically conducted on an annual basis. It involves visiting your healthcare provider to check your vitals, screen for health conditions , and develop a healthcare plan for your needs.

The aim of a wellness visit is to promote health and prevent disease and disability.

This article explains why annual wellness visits are important, what you can expect during the process, and how to prepare for it.

These are some reasons why wellness visits are important.

Prevent Diseases

Most healthcare visits are categorized under diagnostic care; when you have a health problem, you visit a healthcare provider who assesses your symptoms, diagnoses your condition, and prescribes a treatment plan.

A wellness visit on the other hand is a preventative healthcare measure. The aim of preventative healthcare is to help you maintain good health and prevent health problems before they develop. The goal is to help you live a longer, healthier life.

Wellness visits assess your lifestyle, evaluate health risks, and screen for health conditions, in order to prevent health problems or catch them in the early stages. Instead of waiting to see a healthcare provider once you have a health problem, the idea is to be proactive about your health and work with your healthcare provider to prevent health problems.

People tend to think that it’s fine to skip their annual wellness visit if they’re feeling healthy. However, a 2021 study notes that wellness visits can play a role in catching chronic health conditions early, as well as helping people control for risk factors that could cause them to develop health issues down the line.

Reduce Medical Costs

Wellness visits can help prevent disease and disability, which in turn can help reduce medical costs. According to a 2016 study, a focus on preventive healthcare can significantly reduce medical costs and improve the quality of healthcare services.

What to Expect During a Wellness Visit

A wellness visit may be performed by a healthcare provider such as a doctor, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant, or other qualified health professional.

These are some of the steps a wellness visit may involve:

• Family history: Your healthcare provider may ask you detailed questions about your family’s medical history, to determine whether you are at an increased risk for certain health conditions that may be passed on genetically .
• Medical history: You may also be asked questions about your personal medical history. It can include information about any current or previous diseases, allergies, illnesses, surgeries, accidents, medications, vaccinations, and hospitalizations, as well as the results of any medical tests and examinations.
• Measurements: Your healthcare provider may measure your height, weight, heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital signs. Doing this regularly can help you establish a baseline as well as track any changes in your health.
• Cognitive assessment: Your healthcare provider may assess your ability to think, remember, learn, and concentrate, in order to screen for conditions such as Alzhemer’s disease and dementia.
• Mental health assessment: Your healthcare provider may also assess your mental health and state of mind, to help screen for conditions such as depression and other mood disorders.
• Physical assessment: Your healthcare provider may perform a physical examination to check your reflexes. They may also perform a neurological exam, a head and neck exam, an abdominal exam, or a lung exam.
• Functional assessment: Your healthcare provider may assess your hearing, your vision, your ability to perform day-to-day tasks, your risk of falling, and the safety of your home environment.
• Lifestyle factors: Your healthcare provider may ask you questions about your nutrition, fitness, daily habits, work, stress levels, and consumption of substances such as tobacco, nicotine, alcohol, and drugs.
• Health risk assessment: Based on this information, your healthcare provider will evaluate your health, and determine whether you are at an increased risk for any health conditions.
• Health advice: Your healthcare provider may advise you on steps you can take to improve your health, control risk factors, and prevent disease and disability. This may include nutrition counseling, an exercise plan, flu shot and vaccination recommendations, and fall prevention strategies, among other things.
• Screenings: Your healthcare provider may recommend that you get screened for certain health conditions such as depression , cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, or liver conditions. This may involve blood work, imaging scans, or other screening tests. 
• Medication review: Your healthcare provider may review your medication and adjust it, if required. This can include prescription medication, over-the-counter medication, vitamins, supplements, and herbal or traditional medication.
• Referrals and resources: If required, your healthcare provider will provide a referral to other healthcare specialists. They can also provide other resources that may be helpful, such as counseling services or support groups , for instance.
• Medical providers: Your healthcare provider will work with you to create or update a list of your current medical providers and equipment suppliers. This list can be helpful in case of an emergency.
• Healthcare plan: Your healthcare provider will work with you to create a healthcare plan that is tailored to your needs. The plan will serve as a checklist that will list any screenings or preventive measures you need to take over the next five to 10 years.

The screenings, assessments, and healthcare plan can vary depending on factors such as your age, gender, lifestyle, and risk factors.

How to Prepare for a Wellness Visit

These are some steps that can help you prepare for a wellness visit:

• Fill out any required questionnaires: Your healthcare provider may ask you to fill out a questionnaire before your visit. The questionnaire may include some of the factors listed above. Make sure you do it before your visit, so that you can make the most of your time with your healthcare provider.
• Carry your medications: If possible, try to carry your medications with you to show them to your healthcare provider.
• Take your medical documents along: It can be helpful to carry your prescriptions, immunization records, as well as the results of any medical tests or screenings you have had, to help give your healthcare provider a more accurate picture of your health status.
• Ask someone to go with you: You may want to take a trusted friend or family member along with you for the wellness visit. They can assist you if required, take notes for you, ask questions, and help you remember your healthcare provider’s instructions.
• Note down questions and concerns: A wellness visit is a good opportunity to ask your healthcare provider any questions you have about your health and tell them about any health problems or concerns you have. Making a list and carrying it with you to the visit can help ensure that you don’t miss anything.
• Check your insurance plan: Most insurance plans cover wellness visits; however, what is covered as part of the wellness visit can vary depending on the plan. It can be helpful to know what preventative services and wellness visits your plan offers. It’s important to check that your healthcare provider takes your insurance and to inform them that you’ll be coming for a wellness visit when you schedule your appointment.

A Word From Verywell

A wellness visit can help you evaluate your health status, understand your risk for specific health conditions, and give you the information and resources you need to improve your health.

After you go for a wellness visit, it’s important that you start implementing your healthcare provider’s advice, take any follow-up appointments necessary, and take steps to improve your health.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Get your wellness visit every year .

University Hospitals. What you need to know about wellness visits .

Liss DT, Uchida T, Wilkes CL, Radakrishnan A, Linder JA. General health checks in adult primary care: a review . JAMA . 2021;325(22):2294-2306. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.6524

Musich S, Wang S, Hawkins K, Klemes A. The impact of personalized preventive care on health care quality, utilization, and expenditures . Popul Health Manag . 2016;19(6):389-397. doi:10.1089/pop.2015.0171

Alzheimer’s Association. Annual wellness visit .

University of Michigan Health. Your yearly wellness visit .

By Sanjana Gupta Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

Doctor Visits

Regular Checkups

Screening Tests

Vaccines (Shots)

Talking with the Doctor

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When to See a Doctor

The decision regarding when to see a doctor or other health care professional may vary, depending on whether the visit is for preventive care (routine visits), for medical problems, or for an emergency. (See also Introduction to Making the Most of Health Care and Using Telemedicine .)

Routine visits

Generally, everyone should routinely see their doctor, dentist, and eye doctor for preventive care . Women should routinely see their primary care doctor or gynecologist for gynecologic examinations . People can obtain a schedule of what type of care is required and how often visits are needed from their primary care doctor. Usually, infants and older people need more frequent preventive visits, but frequency also depends on a person’s health conditions. For example, a person with diabetes or a heart disorder (or risk factors for them) may need to have checkups and often testing relatively frequently.

Visits for a problem

When symptoms or other medical problems develop between preventive visits, people may be unsure whether they need to see a doctor. Many symptoms and problems can be handled at home. For example, most routine colds do not require a doctor’s attention or antibiotic treatment. Many small cuts and abrasions can be handled by first cleaning them with mild soap and water, then applying an antibiotic ointment and a protective covering (see Wounds: First-Aid Treatment ).

People with certain disorders should see a doctor sooner rather than later when new symptoms develop. For example, if people with a chronic lung disorder (such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ) begin to have difficulty breathing or if people with a weakened immune system get a fever, they should see a doctor promptly. The immune system may be weakened by diabetes , human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection , use of chemotherapy drugs , or other conditions. People with chronic disorders should discuss with the doctor in advance what new or changed symptoms should prompt a nonroutine visit.

When unsure about the need to see a doctor or other practitioner, people should call their primary care doctor for guidance. Some doctors can be contacted through an online portal or by e-mail for nonemergency questions. Others prefer to be contacted by telephone. Doctors cannot give all-inclusive guidelines for when a visit is necessary because symptoms with the same cause vary too much and symptoms with different causes overlap too much. However, some problems clearly require a call to a health care practitioner.

Visits to the emergency department

In general, true emergencies should be handled by calling 911 or the local emergency service to provide ambulance service to the nearest hospital. However, deciding what qualifies as an emergency is sometimes difficult because symptoms vary greatly. Learning as much as possible about symptoms of life-threatening disorders (such as heart attack and stroke ) in advance is useful, and good judgment is often required. If the problem seems possibly life threatening, the emergency department is the place to go. The following examples clearly require a visit to the emergency department:

Signs of a heart attack , such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and dizziness

Signs of a stroke , such as sudden muscle weakness, paralysis, abnormal or lost sensation on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, confusion, problems with vision, sudden dizziness, loss of balance and coordination

Difficulty breathing

Heavy bleeding

Burns that are open, char, or blister the skin; that result from inhalation; that cover a large area; or that are on the hands, face, feet, or genitals

Severe injury (as in a motor vehicle accident)

Poisoning that causes symptoms (if symptoms are minor or do not develop, the poison control center can be called first at 800-222-1222 for advice)

A severe allergic reaction

Signs of shock , such as dizziness, confusion, and cold, clammy skin

Sudden, severe pain anywhere

Vomiting blood or coughing up a relatively large amount of blood (more than a few streaks in sputum)

Sudden, severe worsening of a serious chronic disorder, such as asthma or diabetes

Going to the emergency department for less serious problems may be appropriate when the person's primary care doctor is unavailable, such as during weekends or during the night. However, emergency department personnel may be unfamiliar with the person's medical history, and periodic crowding may mean long waits to see a doctor. In some health insurance plans, calling the primary care doctor first may be required in order to be reimbursed for a visit to the emergency department, unless symptoms suggest a life-threatening disorder. People should know the requirements of their insurance plan before an emergency develops.

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"To see a doctor" vs "to visit a doctor"

• Thread starter Nicknamed
• Start date Jun 20, 2020

Senior Member

• Jun 20, 2020

Hello to everybody, what's the difference between the 2 following sentences? 1) You should visit a doctor. 2) You should see a doctor. The context is someone who feels sick. Thanks  

Keith Bradford

No difference in meaning. There's also "you should consult a doctor".  

I don't think I've heard people using "visit a doctor" in BE. I'd expect most people to use "see".  

Moderato con anima (English Only)

Yes, 'visit a doctor' sounds a bit strange to me. Quite often people say, 'You should go and see a doctor.'  

I agree with Andygc and Natkretep. See: Google Ngram Viewer  

Lanternfish ESL

ESL Visiting a Doctor Roleplay

This is an oral communication activity in which students practise describing symptoms to a doctor.

A Visit to the Doctor Roleplay

Introduction.

The purpose of these materials is to get the students to practice visiting a doctor and communicating in English. This is a fairly simple role-play intended for false beginners (or perhaps even beginners). In short, students will go to the doctor, describe their ailment, get a prescription, and get some advice. Doctors will listen to ailments, ask a few questions and then prescribe medicine and give some advice.

Resources to Download

Doctor's activity sheet, patients activity sheet, ailment cards, treatment cards, activity description.

The class is divided into two groups: Doctors and Patients. Doctors are given the Doctor's Activity Sheet and the Treatment Cards . Patients are given the Patients Activity Sheet and three Ailment Cards .

For each ailment, the patients will visit two doctors and get some advice and a prescription. There is a fair amount of vocabulary for this exercise so it might be wise to have the students prep for class with some worksheets or exercises. If you are in an ESL setting it might also be a good idea to have the main terms translated. Also, the ailment and treatment cards are in MS Word format so you can edit them to whatever sickness you want.

Further Study and Related Resources

• Health Care

How to Advocate for Yourself at Doctor’s Visits, According to Doctors

W ith a limited amount of allotted time and a pressing health matter to discuss, a trip to the doctor’s office can sometimes feel like a high-stakes event. Even the most routine visits can leave you feeling dissatisfied if there’s a communication barrier, too many items on the agenda, or a personality clash.

Research shows that people who are able to vocalize their medical needs tend to be happier with their health care experiences and are even more likely to see improvements in symptoms and other important outcomes. So how can patients become better advocates for themselves and help take charge of their health in the process? We asked physicians for their best tips and strategic advice to help ensure your next doctor’s appointment goes as smoothly as possible.

Write down your concerns before the visit 

Dr. Michael Albert, chief of internal medicine with Johns Hopkins Community Physicians in Odenton, Md., says he understands what patients can be up against when they go to see their doctor. First, there’s the inherent power balance between doctor and patient, which he says is slowly changing as medical schools begin to focus more on patient-centered care, but remains a problem. And he’s heard more than his share of stories over the years of physicians who appear to lack empathy when a patient raises concerns. “We know we need to do better as physicians,” Albert says.

Some of that disconnect comes down to time pressures, which can make physicians feel rushed to find a “fix” for their patients, rather than validating their feelings, Albert says. 

Read More : Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills: U.S. Health Care Is Causing Patient Burnout

To counteract that, he advises all patients to write a list of their concerns in order of urgency to help ensure that their voice is heard in the appointment. It doesn’t need to be an exhaustive narrative; in fact, being brief is key to keeping the appointment on track. But people who come prepared with a note highlighting main points they want to discuss often make better use of their limited time with the doctor. “Then we can really dig into the things that are most important,” he says.

By the time patients reach sub-specialist Dr. Kathryn Mills, they’ve usually already interacted with numerous physicians and other care providers. Mills, a gynecologic oncologist and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Chicago Medicine, says it can be confusing and overwhelming for patients to navigate the system, which is why she encourages them to write down their questions in advance.

“It is hard, when you get in that moment, to remember everything that you wanted to have addressed,” says Mills.

Send a portal message the day before

When a concise written list won’t suffice—such as when a patient wants to provide contextual information about a complicated injury—Albert says sending an electronic message through a patient portal the day before an appointment can help prepare the doctor. Some insurance plans have begun paying doctors for responding to portal messages, which incentivizes doctors to communicate with patients.

Just don’t expect doctors to respond to complex questions through portal communication, Albert says. Those issues are best addressed in person.

Craft an “opening statement”

Doctors always face time constraints and are usually juggling multiple demands, Albert says. To help foster a strong relationship, he often advises patients to start their appointments with a brief opening statement that highlights their reason for coming in while acknowledging the doctor’s hectic schedule.

And the little things, such as showing up on time and making sure your paperwork is filled out, can go a long way toward building the provider-patient relationship, Mills says. When patients are on time and prepared, doctors are better able to stick to their schedule and spend the appointment focused on the issues at hand.

Google your symptoms—yes, really

Doctors rarely advise patients to fall down a rabbit hole online. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do research. The best patient is the informed patient, according to Dr. Benita Petri-Pickstone, a family physician in Gahanna, Ohio and clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. She says a vital aspect of self-advocacy is for patients to take an active role in their health, which means doing their research ahead of time so they can ask informed questions. Be proactive, raise any concerns with your doctor, and don’t hesitate to ask a multitude of questions, she says.

Read More : 6 Compliments That Land Every Time

“The patient who tends to get the better care is usually one that is more vocal and asks informed questions about things based on what they’ve read and based on symptoms that they are feeling,” Petri-Pickstone says.

Bring someone to your appointment

In situations where people may not be able to advocate for themselves, such as seniors who are experiencing a cognitive decline, Petri-Pickstone encourages them to bring along a trusted friend or family member. “I’m always open to having spouses and children come in with the patient to help give a good history so I can find out the total picture about what’s happening,” she says. 

Seek a second opinion

When patients are experiencing doubt or appear to be uneasy, Mills encourages them to seek a second opinion. Mills often sees patients who are coming to her for one,  and she believes it’s a critical step people can take to advocate for themselves and ensure they are getting the right care. 

She says that sometimes, patients don’t want to tell her they are in her office to seek a second opinion because they’re afraid it will color her opinion. But Mills says she believes it better serves patients if they are transparent and speak about the specific concerns that prompted them to seek the advice of another physician. “It sets the stage in a different way,” she says.

Don’t hesitate to find new care

Sometimes, the relationship between a doctor and patient just isn’t the right fit, Albert says. If someone has tried everything and the doctor is impossible to understand or just doesn’t listen, it might be time to seek another provider, he says. “They should select somebody who they feel more comfortable with,” he says.

The ideal doctor-patient relationship will vary depending on a person’s needs. But in general, people should be able to have a back-and-forth discussion with their physician and feel like their concerns are being heard and addressed, Albert says. If people feel like their doctor is going to listen, it becomes much easier for them to advocate for what they need.

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Confused by Your Doctor Visit? Ask These Three Questions

A clear, concise understanding isn’t always what a patient takes away from a doctor visit. The Ask 3 program reduces doctor/patient communication to three simple questions everyone should understand. Patient education specialist Darren Doman explains this program, encourages patients to ask these questions and urges doctors to make sure they’re understood.

Episode Transcript

Interviewer: Three things patients should ask and three things all doctors should be sure their patients understand. That's coming up next on The Scope.

Announcer: Medical news and research from University of Utah physicians and specialists you can use for a happier and healthier life. You're listening to The Scope.

Interviewer: Sometimes as a patient when you're in clinic with a physician, you leave and you're like, "I don't know what's wrong with me and I don't know what to do about it," and you're just confused. But if you ask these three questions, and if you're a provider you make sure patients understand the answers to these three questions you could solve all the problems. We're going to find out more about the Ask 3 Program. Darren Doman, he's the Patient Education Specialist here at University of Utah Health Care. What is the Ask 3 Program and it sounds magical?

Doman: It is pretty magical. It's an initiative put together by the National Patient Safety Foundation and it's meant to just help improve communication between health care providers and their patients in efforts to improve health outcomes. So basically they synthesize every visit into three main questions.

Interviewer: Okay.

Doman: First, "What is my main problem?"

Interviewer: Yeah okay.

Doman: That's a good question.

Interviewer: That's a great question. That's why you're there.

Doman: Exactly.

Interviewer: Yeah.

Doman: Put a label on it, give it a name. The second question is, "What do I need to do about it?" And then the third question is, "Why is it important for me to do that?"

Interviewer: I love that because I think it synthesizes in very, three very quick little questions. Like when you're a patient you leave and you don't understand what just happened and you're trying to figure out, "What could I have done to change it?" I think this is perfect.

Doman: Absolutely and there's some research out of Great Britain that shows that when it comes to an outpatient doctor patient interaction, 80% of people leave that visit without accurately recalling any information that the doctor told them.

Interviewer: So it would be hard for them to tell their husband, their wife, their kids, anybody.

Doman: Exactly, but when they probed the 20% that remembered something a little bit closer, only half of them actually got it right.

Interviewer: Really?

Doman: So it's really 9 out of 10 people leave the doctor's office not able to remember accurately what the doctor told them.

Interviewer: That's pretty incredible and that's based on research.

Doman: Based on research out of the UK.

Interviewer: All right so the Ask 3 Program, "What's my main problem?" "What do I need to do?" "Why is it important for me to do this?" Is there any research on showing if people ask these questions what retention rates are?

Doman: Well the most current research that I read was showing that patients aren't actually asking these three questions.

Doman: So we need to take a step back, revamp the program, and maybe think about it a little bit differently. Which I think is a perfect opportunity for us to talk to providers and say, "You know, here's three great questions. If your patients aren't asking these questions, why don't you just help them out and give them this information?"

Interviewer: Yeah just make sure that they understand these three things.

Doman: Exactly and that speaks to the need for open communication between patients and doctors to really get the message home. Patients need to be asking the questions, doctors need to be telling the patients the right things, and they need to be checking to make sure that the message was received.

Interviewer: So it sounds like a good idea as a patient if I go in that maybe when it starts getting a little confusing I just need to fall back on those three, you know? Because sometimes the issues get a little muddled right?

Doman: Absolutely, and just bring it back to, "Okay what's the main problem?"

Interviewer: "What do I need to do?"

Doman: And, "Why is it important to do it?"

Interviewer: And as a provider it might be a good idea after you tell them these three things to ask them, "Okay do you understand what your problem is? Tell me what it is." When I was in my communication classes that's all part of listening, it's all part of checking to make sure the person understand what you just said to them is to ask them to tell you what you just said to them.

Doman: Absolutely and providers who are really keyed into this can do it very artfully. They can say, "I think your main problem is this," and then, "Later when you get home what are you going to tell your spouse that your main problem is?" Just to check and see.

Interviewer: Yeah, because a lot of times we assume that the person understood us and we don't want to insult their intelligence by insinuating on some level that they didn't, but a lot of times people don't. I mean there's a lot of a thing that can go wrong with communication, it's not either individuals fault.

Doman: It's true, and double checking message received is never a bad idea.

Interviewer: What's keeping patients from asking these three questions do you think?

Doman: When it comes to patients asking questions in doctors' visits I always think its fear based. They don't want to look stupid in front of their care provider. Maybe they kind of know the answer but they're a little bit afraid of actually hearing somebody else say it. So there are reasons why they might not pipe up and actually ask.

Interviewer: But at that point it's important beyond your ego, beyond anything else, to clearly understand what's going on, what you need to do, and how important it is.

Doman: Sure, yeah.

Interviewer: And how about physicians, is there a barrier to them adopting kind of just these three questions making sure patients identify it? Is it something they ever thought about before?

Doman: I think it takes that moment of just engaging your brain and checking in rather than getting into too much of a routine. Everybody kind of gets their routine going, they kind of do it the same way they've always done it, in and out, keep the flow going. But if we can actually engage with the patients say, "Here's my new routine, here are these three important things that I need every patient to understand," I think we're going to have a better go of patient interaction, better communication, and ultimately better health outcomes.

Interviewer: Any final thoughts on the Ask 3 Program? I think it's brilliant.

Doman: I think its brilliant too, and just getting the word out to patients and providers alike that it's a conversation. It shouldn't be one-sided doctor talking all the time. The patient should have some input as well and if the patient doesn't know quite what to ask here's three good questions. Anybody who asks these isn't going to look stupid in front of their doctor.

Announcer: TheScopeRadio.com is University of Utah Health Sciences Radio. If you like what you heard, be sure to get our latest content by following us on Facebook, just click on the Facebook icon at TheScopeRadio.com.

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• Aurora Medical Center - Fond du Lac

Aurora Medical Center – Fond du Lac

Part of aurora medical center – oshkosh.

Address 210 Wisconsin American Dr. Fond du Lac, WI 54937 Get directions

Phone: 920-907-7500 Location type: Hospital

Hours of Operation 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Individual departments vary.

Location overview

Aurora Medical Center – Fond du Lac is your center for excellence in health, wellness and healing. We provide safe, equitable, patient-centered care and education for everyone in our community to support you in living your best life.

Our facility fills a vital need in the rapidly growing Fond du Lac County and Southeast Wisconsin regions. Conveniently located next to our clinic, Aurora Health Center – Fond du Lac , our hospital offers personal and compassionate health services close to home. You’ll find leading specialty experts; the latest tools and technologies; and access to emergency, inpatient and outpatient care all at one address.

Our facility also strives to be sustainable. Advanced sustainability features include energy efficiency and green spaces.

See our fact sheet  [PDF]

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All Aurora facilities have a visitor policy in place that helps us ensure safe care.

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Outpatient services

We offer onsite outpatient services at our medical center and at our neighboring health center. Our experts are here to meet a wide range of health care needs including:

• Ear, nose and throat (ENT)
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Emergency services.

When the unexpected occurs, our emergency department is here to provide timely care. Located off Highway 151, our ED is open 24/7.

For minor illnesses and injuries that aren’t an emergency, our urgent care is next to the hospital in our health center and open extended hours.

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From hips and knees to hernias and appendix removals, our surgical specialists are here for you, offering same-day and inpatient surgical services.

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From mammograms to minimally invasive gynecology surgeries, you can count on us to provide respectful, compassionate care. We offer:

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We offer the latest advances in surgical and nonsurgical orthopedic and spine treatments including minimally invasive procedures and total hip and total knee replacement surgeries.

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'He just wanted to be loved': Video of happy giraffe after chiropractor visit has people swooning

An Oklahoma chiropractor who works with both humans and animals has gone viral thanks to a video of him making some adjustments for a giraffe in need.

The giraffe, named Gerry, has a private owner who noticed he was chewing abnormally. His owner called Joren Whitley after meeting the chiropractor at an event. 

Whitley saw Gerry on Feb. 16 and posted a video of the adjustments he made on April 16. Since then, the clip has amassed over 682,000 views . In the video, he felt Gerry’s jaw and moved it from side to side.

“I noticed that (his jaw) had more range of motion to one side than the other side,” Whitley told USA TODAY on Monday. “I facilitated that movement with an adjustment and then I went and I checked his cervical spine … When I found areas that didn’t move very well, I put a little bit of motion into it.”

After making the adjustment with Gerry’s jaw, he noticed his joints moved a lot better. The giraffe’s responses to Whitley also changed.

“He was wanting to be closer to me,” Whitley said. “He was putting his head on me. He was wanting more attention, more affection. It was like I was giving him a hug and he was like ‘This is awesome.’ He was like ‘Thank you’ and he just wanted to be loved on.”

Social media users ate up the video, commenting about how they've learned something new.

"Giraffe kisses…who could ask for more," wrote one TikTok user.

Whitley said he can often tell if his adjustments have helped his animal patients because he watches for pupil dilation and changes in their nervous systems as he works with them. 

Whitley has been going viral since before he posted the video with Gerry, he said, adding that social media has allowed him to show people how chiropractors can help animals just like they help people.

Chiropractor always knew he wanted to work with both animals and people

Whitley has been a chiropractor since 2016. He is licensed through both Oklahoma’s veterinary and chiropractic boards.

He knew he wanted to work on people and animals at the same time, so while he studied for his chiropractic degree, he took classes that could help him do so.

“Whenever I first started animal chiropractic, people knew it was a thing that we did for horses,” Whitley said. “For small animals, dogs, cats, farm animals and stuff, that just wasn't something people really thought about doing.”

He said he knows of quite a few animal chiropractors and recalls working with zebras, lions, buffalo, bears, skunks and more himself.

Many veterinarians in Oklahoma love what he does and they often refer patients to him. 

Some people want him to see their dogs because they’re hesitant to jump or move a certain way. Some bring their animals in because they are limping or can no longer use their hind legs.

“One of the lions I worked on, it couldn't go up and down hills anymore,” Whitley recalled. “It was just becoming so arthritic … As soon as I worked on it, he was able to go up and down the hill. I've got stories for days.”

Some people think chiropractic work is ‘pseudoscience’

Although Whitley has helped many animals, not everyone is a fan of animal chiropractic work, he said.

He even had issues when he first uploaded one of his videos online. He was working with a tiger and the video was taken down because people reported it as animal abuse. He had to show his credentials to continue uploading his videos, he said.

Two of his main goals include educating people and normalizing animal chiropractic care.

A great deal of resistance against animal chiropractic care stems from veterinarians, he said, stressing that they don’t all feel negatively towards people in his line of work.

“There are veterinarians that absolutely hate animal chiropractic and bash it every second they can,” he told USA TODAY. “It is a select few who are very, very loud and say that there is no science behind what we do. It's dangerous. We hurt animals.”

Those “really loud voices” are passing their beliefs onto future generations, he said.

Their beliefs date back to the 1940s, when the American Medical Association had a committee on chiropractic care that restricted patient referrals and more. The committee made claims such as “Chiropractors will kill you,” “It's all quackery” and “It's all pseudoscience,” he said.

The International Chiropractors Association has called the committee and its actions an attempt “to contain and eliminate the profession.”

A group of chiropractors sued the AMA and won, but the arguments have put “a blemish on the profession for a long time,” Whitley said, adding that the public’s view of chiropractic care is slowly changing. 

Viral chiropractor says people like him can help veterinarians and vice versa

A large part of the issue surrounding chiropractic and some veterinarians is that they don’t understand what chiropractors do yet they also don’t want to give chiropractors the chance to talk about it, he said. 

He also said the two groups can help each other because chiropractors know the depth and force that needs to be used when working with animals. 

“The veterinarians (have) the knowledge of anatomy,” he said. “They know the physiology … If given the chance, we could have really, really in depth conversations about how the body functions and how we as chiropractors can help.”

Those interested in seeing more of Whitley’s work can visit www.linktr.ee/oklahomachiro .

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at [email protected] .

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An internal medicine doctor’s appreciation of a patient’s name

I limped into work one morning and, tired from the day which had yet to begin, paused when I did not recognize the name of my first patient. This likely meant that I saw him once, enough to—maybe—remember the basics of his health care, but not his name. If that sounded weird, it was the way my brain worked after twenty years of being a doctor.

I pulled up his chart and—yeah—I totally remember this guy. We had one visit, and the kidney disease and multiple abdominal surgeries, when put together, drew a memorable constellation. Yes, I remember all of his medical problems, but nothing—nada—about his name.

I reviewed our initial visit and cataloged how this patient had four, maybe five, major organ dysfunctions, none of which I could fix. The most obvious, but the one that lurked in the background, was his kidney function. At the time, he was in a zip code just north of dialysis. I stared at the computer, unsure of where, exactly, that left me.

My office note reminded me he had an AV fistula, prepped for the inevitable dialysis. He also had a large abdominal hernia that no sober surgeon would touch. He struggled to walk and had shiny, swollen legs, which hurt to look at. I sat behind my desk, not sure if I had the emotional strength to do something, anything, meaningful for this man. But, as I often did, I put on my white coat with the knowledge that my patients expected me to face uncertainty with them. I walked into his room and did just that.

Once seated, I was at eye level with a sullen and exhausted man, the one I remembered. I fumbled through some small talk, unsure what could be achieved at today’s visit. And, before I collected my thoughts, the patient uncorked a meandering story, one that was circuitous and hard to follow. Mind you, I had not figured out if today’s visit was a follow-up or a new problem-oriented visit. This fact did not matter as, once he gathered momentum, there was no stopping him.

A bit confused but aware that something significant had started, I pushed back from my computer and listened. I didn’t often do this, as I needed to take notes and prepare for what a patient asked of me. This interaction seemed different, and it was.

His story was not a tale of woe, something I heard every day. Intentionally or not, such a story was designed, in part, to elicit, “Oh my God, I am so sorry,” from the doctor. By the third paragraph of this particular story, or, more accurately, this recitation, it was obvious: this story was not about pity or sympathy. What was it about?

Over the next ten minutes, I received a mini-review of the life events that rendered this patient in his current state. Delivered without sadness or blame, it was refreshingly candid, and its honesty shined through the awkward delivery. The importance landed hard with me.

When I tried to clarify some things, my patient waved me off. At one point, he even said, “You need to know these things; that’s why I am telling you.” He stared hard at me, through me, the body language of shut the hell up. I received his message loud and clear—listen and understand—who I am and how I got this way.

When the thirty-minute visit was over, I had not been prescribed any medications, ordered any tests, or changed any medications. And, honestly, I had barely typed on my computer. Viewed through that lens, it was not typically what happened during my workday.

And yet, here is why I cannot stop thinking about this whole affair: he welled up with tears at various points in the story but did not actually cry. I felt a deep—no, profound—connection to this patient.

Had this story of survival and persistence ever been told to anyone else? I don’t know. But it was told to me, the internal medicine doctor who would be involved in starting and then stopping dialysis. To do this properly, I needed to employ humanity and compassion, and, more importantly, I needed to know this man. I did not expect it, but that’s exactly what happened when I shut my mouth, sat in my seat, and gave a fellow human being my attention. I learned far more than just his name, James.

Ryan McCarthy  is an internal medicine physician.

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Doctor accused of poisoning wife may have been calling himself a 'widower' before her death, police say

A Minnesota doctor accused of poisoning his wife to death was most likely already calling himself a widower before she died, according to newly unsealed court documents.

Dr. Connor Bowman, 31, was arrested in October and charged with second-degree murder linked to the death of Betty Bowman, a Mayo Clinic pharmacist who died Aug. 20, only four days after she was hospitalized.

An Aug. 18 Google search by Connor Bowman showed he wanted to know whether the word "widow" is "gender neutral," Rochester Police Detective Alex Kendrick said in a search warrant affidavit.

"These searches, and other conversations identified so far appeared consistent with the statements provided by witnesses during the investigation, that Connor was identifying himself as a widower, even before Betty died," Kendrick wrote.

At least two women communicated with Connor Bowman via the dating app Bumble , on Aug. 29 and Sept. — within days of Betty Bowman's death — the search warrant affidavit said.

In the first chat, the woman said she "thought it was strange" that Bowman had "brought up the large life insurance payout he received, using it to pay off student loan debt," Kendrick wrote.

The affidavit alleges that in the Sept. 5 communication, Bowman said his late wife would have wanted him back out on the dating circuit.

"She later asked when Betty died, and Connor replied that Betty died earlier in the summer, and that she confronted him later when she learned it had only been 2 and a half weeks since Betty’s death," the affidavit said.

Sarah Leeser, a longtime friend of the victim, said Bowman didn't seem too upset shortly after his wife's death.

"Sarah advised that another red flag for her in this situation was that Connor had not shown any grief after Betty’s death," police said the friend told them. "Connor even invited her and some other friends out for drinks ... two days after Betty’s death and appeared to be happy or at least indifferent to Betty’s death."

Leeser told NBC News on Wednesday that she vividly recalled Connor Bowman's demeanor at the hospital as inconsistent with a man about to lose his wife.

"At the hospital, it [his reaction and behavior] was off," she said. "I mean, everyone else was devastated, and he was not."

Still, in that moment, said Leeser, 33, she never suspected her friend could have been the victim of foul play.

"It wasn't really in my head. I was just thinking about Betty," said Leeser, who is running a GoFundMe effort for the victim's mother, covering travel and other expenses connected to the alleged murder.

Betty Bowman died of colchicine toxicity, and a medical examiner ruled her death a homicide. Connor Bowman had worked in a "poison control center for an extended period of time prior to his residency," according to the search warrant affidavit.

Bowman's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.

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Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Making a difference by helping people thrive..

Occupational therapists promote the ability to thrive and live the best life possible by enabling people to engage in the occupations that are personally meaningful to them. At Pacific, occupational therapy academic coursework and fieldwork are integrated into a curriculum that is founded on a biopsychosocial model, client-centered and designed to meet the diverse needs of the communities we serve.

OT student highlighted in SHS Newsletter

OT student Kaitlan Vang was featured in the Jan/Feb SHS newsletter as she was one of the students awarded the Dean's Resilience Award for the 2023-2024 academic year. 

Pacific awarded $1.7M to support occupational therapy, social work students.

The state grant will provide stipends and robust support services to students who grew up in foster care, have experienced homelessness, or were in the justice system as youth.

National President of AOTA visits Pacific

Alyson Stover, President of the American Occupational Therapy Association, visited the Sacramento campus on Jan 25, 2024. She learned more about the world of pelvic floor health, a vital OT practice area, from Dr. Carlin Reaume. Alyson also visited with the students from our OT program, inspiring them to advocate for our profession and embrace their passion for OT.

OT program provides required textbooks to all admitted students

All admitted OT students will receive required textbooks during the program through a book-sharing program. Third-year students will receive study materials and support for the NBCOT exam.

32-month accelerated program

Interdisciplinary courses and simulation labs, biopsychosocial curriculum model.

months, full-time

students matriculate each January

About the program

Pacific's innovative Doctor of Occupational Therapy program prepares students to help people of all ages live their best lives by working through injury, disability and illness and practicing overall wellness and vitality in their daily routines. Instruction is delivered in an accelerated format offering interdisciplinary courses via innovative learning strategies, classroom meetings and simulation labs. Program graduates will be prepared to promote integrated health and wellness behaviors across the life-span for individuals and diverse communities.

Program length

The cohort-based, 120-unit program consists of eight trimesters (32 months). Students will start with foundational coursework then advance to learning intervention strategies for specific age groups and life challenges. The Entry-Level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) is awarded upon completion of Level II Fieldwork and Capstone requirements and within four years of  initial matriculation.

Students in the entry-level Doctor of Occupational therapy program have close interactions and personal attention from our faculty. Many classes are small seminar style with larger lecture groups having about 40 students. Faculty have extensive clinical experience, specialty certifications, research experience, and are passionate about teaching students and OT.

• Hands-on practical experiences throughout curriculum
• Biopsychosocial modeled curriculum
• Community engagement and volunteering experiences
• Faculty and peer mentoring
• Interprofessional collaboration in the School of Health Sciences

Current Pacific undergraduate students now have two exciting pathways to the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program. Choose between a pathway offering guaranteed interviews or one that guarantees admission.

About the Occupational Therapy Program

“I chose Pacific OT because of the location and small campus environment. I enjoy volunteering and working at the various hospitals and clinics in the Sacramento community. Therefore, I would love to serve back to the Sacramento community as an occupational therapist."

- Hannah Yanica Gantuangco, Class of 2023

“I chose Pacific OT because I appreciated the sincerity of all the staff that spoke at open houses and their willingness to answer my many questions. The campus is beautiful and as a bonus, conveniently located close to my family. What stands out about this OT program is its psycho-social model. I fully believe in integrated care and cooperation across providers for every patient. I like being part of a team working towards the best possible outcome.”

- Naima Reddick (she/her), Class of 2023

Curricular Threads

Designed to integrate University of the Pacific’s values and mission of ‘preparing individuals for lasting achievement and responsible leadership in their careers and communities,’ the curriculum prepares learners to be competent socially conscious practitioners who embody the professional identity of serving the occupational needs of their communities. Courses are built upon the biopsychosocial model and the following concepts are integrated throughout the curriculum:

• Student-centered scholarship of teaching and learning
• Advocacy/Occupational Justice
• Client-Centered Leadership
• Reflective Evidence-Based Practice
• Occupation-based Community practice

Through the eight-trimester sequence, students learn to become general practitioners. However, with the doctoral level program, students will have the opportunity to focus on specialty areas of practice such as clinical research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education and theory development.

Our mission, vision, and values

Our Mission

The mission of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at University of the Pacific is to prepare students to become competent, socially conscious practitioners in the use of occupation as a therapeutic measure for individuals and diverse communities. The student-centered curriculum aims to optimize student understanding of the value of occupation from various perspectives across the lifespan, including biological, psychological and social to promote a compassionate, client-centered, science-driven, and interdisciplinary team approach in the delivery of care.

Program Vision

To become one of the leading entry-level occupational therapy doctoral programs in Northern California that is focused on community integrated health and serving diverse communities. 

Department Vision

Develop and educate socially conscious global leaders that promote occupational justice in the field of occupational therapy. Cultivate an inclusive environment with team leadership that encompasses a diversity of perspectives. Promote and foster open dialogue that leads to a stronger community.

Values and Commitment

At the University of Pacific, it is our belief that diversity and inclusion are essential to the fulfillment of our institutional mission. Our faculty is committed to promoting full engagement in occupations across the lifespan, and acknowledge that multiple systemic, environmental, and personal barriers limit successful engagement for some individuals, especially those who identify as members of  underrepresented racial and ethnic, disability, economically disadvantaged, and/or LGBTQIA+ communities. We are dedicated to preparing generalist clinicians that advocate for all individuals, are committed to social justice, and create inclusive strategies for those we serve.

Student Outcomes 

Graduation rates, nbcot pass rates.

Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy ( NBCOT ) can be found here .

Accreditation Status

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA, and its web address is  www.acoteonline.org . Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork as well as an individual 14-week capstone experience within 24 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3

Read our Admissions information for everything you need to know about prerequisites, how to apply, and more.

The University of the Pacific Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program prepares students to become socially conscious occupational therapists who promote well-being, health, and advocacy in a global society. Our 32 month innovative accelerated program includes 5 didactic on-campus trimesters, two trimesters of Level II fieldwork, and a 14-week Doctoral Capstone. The curriculum is designed to provide a superior education for students to work as generalist occupational therapists in non-traditional and traditional settings.  

The University of the Pacific Entry-Level OTD program is designed for full-time study. During the on-campus trimesters, students participate in an Interprofessional Learning Seminar that includes 9 School of Health Science programs. Our students participate in extracurricular activities, volunteer locally and abroad, and engage in leadership roles. The occupational therapy department offers peer and academic mentoring to guide students throughout the program.

All admitted students must:

• Maintain an overall course grade of 70% or higher in course work (students may not repeat more than two courses, and no course may be repeated more than once).
• Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00.
• Demonstrate appropriate professional behaviors as described in the Occupational Therapy Student Handbook.
• Maintain graduate school admissions requirements .

Students graduate after successful completion of:

• Coursework with minimum 3.00 GPA.
• 28 weeks of supervised Level II Fieldwork and 14-weeks of Doctoral Capstone within 24 months after finishing didactic coursework.
• 120-units in a minimum of 32 months. Must complete all requirements within five years of initial matriculation.
• Demonstrate competency of OT generalist practice skills including fundamentals of practice, basic tenets of OT, evaluation and screening, intervention, management of OT services, communication, and professional behavior.
• Students must complete Level II fieldwork and the experiential capstone requirements within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

Certification

Once the entry-level OTD program receives accreditation status from ACOTE, graduates of the University of the Pacific will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy ( NBCOT ). Upon successfully completing the exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Most states require licensure to practice. However, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

NBCOT Eligibility

The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy ( NBCOT ) may disqualify students with felony convictions/charges from becoming certified. The Qualifications Review Committee (QRC) will review the qualifications of examination candidates who have been convicted of or charged with a felony to determine if the circumstances appear to relate directly to the safe, proficient, and/or competent practice of occupational therapy. For students entering an OT program, the QRC may give an early determination for approval to take the certification exam. For more information, please contact the NBCOT directly.  

Credentialing and Employment

State licensure requirements.

For more information regarding state requirements, please visit the AOTA State Licensure Requirements website .

Employment Resources and Opportunities

• Employment Resources -  AOTA Job Link Resources
• OT Salary and Workforce Information - AOTA OT Salary & Workforce Survey
• OT Resume and CV Resources - AOTA Resume and CV Resources
• OT Careers in Traditional and Non-Traditional Settings - OT Areas of Special Interest  

More Information

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We take a hands on approach with our students. This means we want to get to know you throughout your discovery and application process. Help us connect with you by taking the next step. 

Non-Discriminatio n Disclosure

The Program is an equal opportunity institution of higher learning and is firmly committed to nondiscrimination in its delivery of educational services and employment practices. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, such decisions will be made irrespective of the individual's race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age (except for minors), sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic condition), disability and/or any other status protected by law. For further information, please see the University’s policy

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