Selecting Your Physician

By Sue Franke

3 min read

Selecting a surgeon or treating physician for a serious illness such as cancer can be a tough decision. Some decisions are made after careful research, while other decisions may be based on accepting one recommendation. Everyone has different needs, comfort levels and different resources so, of course, how one pursues their medical team is just as individual.

When my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and subsequently when my daughter and I were both diagnosed with breast cancer, searching for the right oncologists and surgeons became almost a full-time job for each of us. I thought I’d share some of the things we looked at while we went through this process.

In-person consultations

Many insurance companies will now cover the costs of seeing more than one physician when deciding on your care team, though check with your insurance. Some may cover even three. We came to our consultations well-prepared. Through lots of research about the disease, treatment, side effects, and more, we knew exactly what we wanted to discuss.

We also came to these meetings knowing a lot about the doctor and their practice. Knowledge is power is certainly true. Doctors we met appreciated our research and related questions. If we met a doctor who wasn’t interested in hearing us out, who felt insulted by our questioning, or who didn’t want to take the time, that would have ended that relationship before it even started. Fortunately, that didn’t happen.

Credentials

What are the doctors’ primary areas of practice? Do they have specialties in our types of cancers? Where did they go to medical school; where was their residency? How long have they practiced? Are they associated with a major hospital which offers first-rate surgery centers, top facilities for treatments of chemo or radiation?

Is the hospital a teaching facility where residents and interns will be part of my care team? Is there a strong patient support system support, including patient navigators? A lot of this information is easily available online but is also a good basis for discussion during your consultation.

Personality and rapport

Do I feel comfortable with this doctor? Do we seem to relate easily and comfortably? It may not be easy to determine this 100% during the first consultation, but it can often be recognized right off the bat if a comfortable relationship won’t be possible. Again, for us, that would have been the end of the relationship.

The doctor’s office team

Is the doctor’s office responsive to my calls? Friendly? Is it easy to schedule a timely appointment? Do they seem efficient? Do my phone calls get returned? Will my medical records and appointments be available to me through my patient portal?

Recommendations

In many cases, physician web sites include patient comments. When considering these comments and recommendations, it’s important to be discerning about what may and may not be valid. But reviewing others’ experiences with a particular doctor can add another focus for the initial consultation.

Location

How far will I need to travel for hospital procedures, check ups, treatments? Location can be especially important if treatment will include daily radiation or frequent chemo over an extended period of time. If you live in the Midwest as I do, traveling longer distances for repeated treatment during winter weather is another consideration.

These are only a few of the many things to think about when deciding on your treating physician and/or surgeon. But like any major decision, it takes time, research, some work and careful thought to be confident that you made the best choice. But it’s worth all the effort – a lot depends on it.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The ProstateCancer.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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Freddie2/3 Member
 I'm fortunate to live in Manhattan. All the major hospitals are a short subway ride away. I had many treatment options when first diagnosed with non-metastasized PC. I opted for hormone therapy and SBRT. I also received brachytherapy implants. My PSA has returned to a regular 2.5 from the 16.9 it was before treatment. MSK (Memorial Sloan Kettering) was where I went for treatment. There was one dominant reason—experience treating the disease. My primary physician has treated over 5000 patients. I interviewed doctors at different institutions before I made my decision. After doing my due diligence, I understood that the efficacy of the treatments was equal, so I opted for the non-surgical approach. The physician's experience in treating the disease is the most important of all the factors I weighed. That should be the first question you ask. How many cases have you treated? Good luck, and God Bless you.
CommunityMember1381 Member
My first oncologist was outstanding, but I selected him because my wife was in the medical field and talked to a number of nurses in different doctors' offices to find the best in our hometown before I settled with one. Since then, I have moved to four different states and been through a series of nine oncologists. Finding an oncologist who treats you like a human being and not just "prostate cancer patient number whatever" on his roster of patients is part of the challenge. Another challenge is finding an oncologist who sees you personally and doesn't just let an unqualified Physician's Assistant handle his appointments (one of those PA's didn't even know the difference between androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer!) I was first diagnosed in 1996 and had surgery and radiation that summer. I've been on virtually every treatment available since then and done my own research independently of my doctor. You can't just blindly accept what a doctor tells you. Trust, but verify. Learn the options at each step of the way so you can ask intelligent questions as the disease and your treatment progresses. Bottom line -- you want to find an oncologist who knows you as a fellow human being from the first instant you meet, and not just another patient. You want an oncologist who will see you him/herself on every visit and not just palm you off to a PA who knows less about cancer than you do. Third, you want an oncologist who is on your wavelength so that mutual understanding is automatic and easy. And finally, you want an oncologist who is with a clinic or hospital large enough to have access to all of the tests and all of the latest treatment options and clinical trials, a doctor who doesn't necessarily treat every patient the same, but evaluates your specific situation and needs to customize your treatment for the best quality/quantity of life.
Beverly Baldwin Moderator & Contributor
This article could not be more true! I found that it was extremely beneficial to find a care team that works best for your needs, desires, and family. In earlier years, my family would often go to the doctor that our insurance covered or the one we were referred too. I do believe as the world has changed, people have also changed, and we have to dig a little deeper into finding our health care team. The factors that you have provided give many families a starting point on what to look for. Thank you for sharing! Beverly (Prostatecancer.net Moderator)