re: how long do you wait at the drs office

Depends on the kind of doctor. If it's a doctor who has admitting privileges to a hospital or performs any kind of emergent surgeries, I'd probably give about a 2-hour gap at max, again depending on the kind of doctor it is. This, of course, all assuming I'm not going to a free care clinic.

csb: had a sinus infection so went to the walk in clinic in podunk Senoia GA. I'm the only person in the waiting room so I'm thinking this should go quickly. Then out of nowhere the entire cast of "The Walking Dead" comes prancing in. They ALL get seen before me but I waited it out for my turn.
Besides, that British girl is hot.

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You have to remember for doctors that the first appointment for most patients at 8:20 don't show up until 8:30 due to "traffic" and then take another 20 minutes to fill out paperwork/have nurse take vitals, etc., fricking up the whole morning schedule.

This is assuming a clinic doctor with hospitalists coverage for inpatients.

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The nurse taking vitals has nothing to do with the physician being there. If this is your experience, you're going to a real ragtag clinic. If the first patient is to show up at 8:20, the doctor often won't get there until a little later because he's waiting for his first patient to be in the room. In the interim period, the doc is usually in the hospital, doing paperwork in his office/home. They're not sitting around saying "Hey, let's all wait, show up late, and really screw these patients' days"
Yes, it can be inconvenient at time. Find a physician that fits your needs. Find a practitioner who only practices outpatient medicine and go to them; they run on time more than traditional practices.

I don't think an Optometrist is as long as an Opthamologist.

My time is important, too. Anything over 45 minutes and I am resetting the appointment. If it is a dire emergency, then I will go to an emergent care clinic.

Most of us try. I hate running behind but often do. The main reason are patients bringing up multiple complaints or just taking too damn long to spit it out. And we see emergencies. Few of my patients complain because more times than not, they've been an emergency walk in. And since people are loathe to go to the ER's here, we get overrun with things that are time consuming and complex. Just today I had two lacerations, a 2 yo with appendicitis, a pulmonary embolus and a chest pain. The last two had to be shipped out of our office by ambulance. I did have one woman leave, but she wasn't upset. Just had to go. I apologized and called in her refills and reviewed her labs by phone and no charge for visit. I would love to stick to a schedule. Hell, I can't remember the last time I sat down for lunch.

Am I overbooked? Yes. But I "closed" my practice 8-9 years ago and have not advertise for new patients in 10+ years. Yet I get new ones daily that beg to get in. They understand up front that most likely they will have to wait, but it they want to be seen. I will see them that day. Even if I have to stay several hours late. Me personally, I think I would want to go to a doc in demand and values quality of care over a stringent schedule.

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I don't think an Optometrist is as long as an Opthamologist.

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