jerryhung

New immigrants to vancouver area, been here 1.5 years or so. One of the challenges is finding a doctor. I'm even willing to travel further to find a good one.

I looked up online and any doctors "accepting new patients" are rated as 1 or 2 on ratemd with really unfavourable reviews.

Is there any way to find a good doctor in the LML, and if so, also get on a waitlist or something to be accepted?

Thanks

BristolUK

I wouldn't trust those, really, unless you see a recurring theme but even then I'd still doubt them, especially when you see completely contradictory opinions.

Through family members I have experienced about 8 doctors here and I wouldn't say the pattern in the reviews were in the least representative.

Some of the negative reviews, I could say "yes I recognise how someone could get that impression" if you see the doc just that one time.

A pediatrician we saw for my stepson had the most awful reviews. Battleaxe was among the kinder things said. But she was a lovely person.

Some of the comments about our family doctor are not just different opinions but actual lies. I'd go so far as to say they were borne of racism.

bats

yep, don't trust those reviews. One of the best doctors I've ever worked with is generally disliked by his patients as he doesn't order every test under the sun.

Oink

Vancouver has the best doctors in the whole wide world bar none. But doctors aside, you're pretty privilaged to live in this heaven on earth. You know what? Vancouver and the greater province of British Columbia actuality puts heaven to shame.

Shard

I think during my adult life I've probably seen 30+ doctors (GP's) as I've moved around a bit and always end up in group practices. They're all good, trained, know their stuff, no idea why people get hung up on having a specific doctor. If it's something serious you get referred to a specialist anyway. It's like many people are still living in the 1950's.

Stinkypup

Now you are just being silly. Go and sit on the naughty step and just think about how you might properly answer those nice boys and girls who want to know what it is like to live in Canada. Or no salmon fishing or beer for two weeks

scrubbedexpat091

Continuity of care.

In my view you won't receive the same level of care for chronic health issues if your seeing a different doctor every time using walk in clinics.

Not sure if GP's in Canada share patients in group practice, all my GP's in BC have worked in an office with many GP's, but you could only make an appointment with your GP, you couldn't see another doctor in the same office.

I find when I have no GP, I don't even seek medical care for the most part.

BristolUK

My wife's family's old doctor's office in Longueuil, Quebec had several docs and it seemed they each took a day in turn for walk-in appointments. So you had your own doc but who you may or may not see on a walk-in.
Trouble is you were lucky to get an appointment there for over a week, so if you wanted to see someone in that time, you were a walk-in.

Here, while plenty of docs share a building, that's all that is shared.

scrubbedexpat091

The bolded bit has been my experience with the doctors I have had in BC. Our last GP also did some walk in duty after hours so that helped, but generally he kept a small % of appointments for same day if you called within the first 5 mins of them opening you could get one.

In Squamish our GP didn't keep any same day slots open, so generally booked out 2 weeks, but again he also covered a shift once a week at the walk in clinic.

Siouxie

You might find this useful for a walk-in clinic, if you need one

https://medimap.ca/app/?loc=Vancouver

My doctor has a few terrible reviews on RateMD's - however, she had been one of the most compassionate and helpful doctors I have had. She doesn't hesitate to send you for tests (provided they are needed) and whilst her receptionist is a pain, the doctor herself is truly a gem.

As an example, a family member went to her with an issue with their knee; she noticed that his lip had a purple/blue tinge and after checking he hadn't eaten anything to cause it, sent him for tests. When those tests came back negative, she sent him for an angiogram as she wasn't convinced the results were correct. 10 minutes into the angiogram, they said they could do nothing further as he had 4 blocked arteries (70-96%) and arranged for him to see a cardiac surgeon. He was immediately put on the wait list as 'urgent' and was told to stop work immediately - not even to cut the grass. 2 months later he had a quadruple bypass. He was told had he not had the angiogram done and the bypass surgery, he would likely have been dead in a year.

Long way of saying 'don't take too much heed of the negative reviews'!

Stinkypup

If one isn't talking about a WIC, then as Bristol and JS say, lists are not shared, we have our own patients- in the UK, some surgeries had shared lists, some had nominated doctor lists. In the main it has to do with how we bill patients for chronic disease management. I like it as we don't get "patient hopping" to another doc in the office to get another opinion. It does give continuity of care.

Re RateMD, very valid comments have been made. It is mainly the aggrieved who like to stick the knife in- perhaps those who have been fired for multiple no shows or abuse to staff. Occasionally there is accuracy - if 98% of reviews describe someone as rude, dismissive and suggests that they spend 1-2 minutes with a patient then they are probably right.

I would be the first to point out my faults ( OK, second after Snoop )but I have had negative reviews which make absolutely no sense,eg suggesting that I never check for example blood pressures which is clearly not true but we have no recourse to reply- I am all for criticism, everyone I'm sure can improve their practice but it has to be valid

BristolUK

So long as it's a significant sample size of course.
A common criticism people posted of mine (not 98% but enough to make one think there was "something in it") is something about him not examining/touching female patients.

Stinkypup

Maybe had issues/ complaint in the past...? A chaperone is always a good idea for both patient and doctor.

BristolUK

Good point. Didn't think of that. I was always with my wife and either of us always with my mother in law.

scilly

I've always found that reviews online for any doctor or dentist that I've had here does not fit with my experiences!!

If I had read the reviews of my dentist for example, I would not have gone near him ...... none of them are true, at least in my experience over the last 6 or 7 years.

As far as doctors go, my favourite doctor has always got reviews that are 50/50 ........... either you loved him because he spent as much time with each patient as the patient needed OR you hate him because he was always running late!