New Patient Appointment

I haven't had a primary care physician or been to the doctor for quite a while, other than just walk in clinic stuff. I'm set up now for a new patient appointment to get on with a primary but don't know what to expect. Will they want to conduct a complete physical since I'm seeing a new doctor and don't have that much in my medical record?

Maybe it is best to have no expectations at the start. Docs vary in what may happen from just a superficial screening to a more in depth exam. One thing of importance is to experience a doc who has interests in who you are and is focused on your health and personal history. You're not just another body in the exam room!

When you make the appointment with a new primary doctor, I would ask how much time is scheduled for the first visit. This will give you a clue how in-depth your exam might be. I would hope at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, but that is likely rare these days. Doctors can speed up the process by giving you homework before the appointment, such as completing a written medical self-evaluation and ordering a thorough blood work-up so the doctor can review even before he or she sees you in the office.

I believe part of the time should be spent getting acquainted, reviewing your medical history, and allowing you to ask questions in a comfortable private environment. Medical appointments can very greatly, often linked to the type of insurance plan you have, HMO vs. PPO or another type of plan.

Several years ago our long-time family doctor retired, and I switched to a naturopathic doctor. My first appointment with her was 90 minutes, but I know that that is extremely rare today. Much of the time, we talked about my lifestyle, stress, diet, exercise, sleep, medications, how I self-treated for illness and issues, including headaches and constipation. We even discussed the use of enemas, which she does prescribe for certain conditions. Naturopaths are a bit different from traditional doctors, that’s why I selected her – and I'm very pleased.

I agree with @Nick31 and @Vicki_V - a new patient appointment should be at least 30 minutes, and the appointment should be preceded by communication & prep-work.

If your new primary care doctor didn't do it, consider asking for a 10-15 minute interview (over the phone is fine) with them a week or two prior to your new patient appointment. In that interview, that should be the time that you express concerns about issues to be addressed - not looking for treatment, diagnosis over the phone, but to be addressed at the appointment. If the doctor isn't available, ask if you can schedule a call with the nurse - the goal is to make the time alloted for the appointment more effective & productive. It is also fair to ask at that time "Since this is my first appointment with this doctor, can you tell me what i should expect at the appointment?" This is particularly fair if it's been a while since your last physical.

I did this recently with both a new urologist (nurse) and a new dermatologist (PA). Both were appreciative that I took the initiative to do so.

To be sure, make an appointment with your general practitioner or geriatrician. Depending on the case, he or she may refer you to a specialist, such as a urologist, cardiologist or proctologist. In my case, I see my urologist every 6 months and have periodic exams.

If you’re a new patient is in the US, I'll be very surprised if you’re there longer than 10 minutes, in my experience of recent years, they will take blood, waste time weighing you, and blood pressure, and not even bother to examine you but fleece your insurance to the maximum for the visit.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and insights on this!

So, I did call to “confirm” my appointment, but mostly to ask what I should expect at it? The receptionist sent me a link to set up an online patient portal that she said I could use to fill out several questionnaires that would be sent to me three days prior to the appointment. Also, to bring any questions or concerns that I would like to discuss with the doctor; and of course, my insurance card.

She said the doctor will perform an exam at the appointment, after talking with me, that’s based on the answers from the questionnaires and any concerns or issues I may have. I really don’t have anything to bring up as I’ve always felt healthy and fit; which is part of the reason I’ve avoided the doctor’s office. She did say that since my medical record was “limited” that this first exam may be more “comprehensive”; but I wasn’t bold enough to ask what that meant, or how much clothing would be coming off for it. Any blood panels or other diagnostic tests would be discussed, ordered and scheduled during that time. The online patient portal shows the appointment duration at 40 minutes, so I wonder how much of that will be talking and how much for the physical?

I tried to look up reviews for this doctor, but didn’t find much. The only reason I picked her is because she’s one of the few in the area accepting new patients. I know it’s important to have a baseline medical record on file, and a PCP, so I’m just planning to be a good sport, meet the new doc and go with whatever she thinks is best for this visit; and try to keep any white coat hypertension to a minimum that day😃

When is your appointment? Very excited to hear about it afterwards!

@Kevtalk6 The new patient appointment is scheduled for midsummer, and now also a skin exam appointment at the dermatologist's office located on the same campus; so now I have two appointments to give me anticipation anxiety for a few months yet. I would rather have them sooner rather than later and get it over with, but I guess that's not how scheduling works with new patients.

I've been reading other people's narratives about the details of their appointments, and that helps me. The "what to expect" descriptions on physician's office websites are so plain and nondescript. It does seem agreed upon though that every physician has their own method and you won't know completely what will happen until you're there in the exam room.

I can sure post the details of what my upcoming experience is for all those that are interested; and maybe it will help someone else with the same apprehension about doctor visits.