What is it with Dr's??? (repost)

I don't know if this is only a NY problem but I am becoming so very frustrated with doctors and their *appointments*. When I met with my surgeon the other day, my *appointment was at 10am, now my husband drives a school bus and happens to be on break at that time.. so me, figuring it's just a consult, asks him to drive me and wait with me. Wrong decision! The doctor didn't even show up til 10:30 and I wasn't seen until 11:30.. why is it that they give 8 people an appointment at 10 am when they KNOW that there's only one doctor and he can't possibly achieve this??? Today, I went for my pre admissions testing.. I asked my hubby to drive me again, because the woman on the phone assured me that it was an hour and no more.. and it was the same thing! I get there for a 10 o'clock appointment, but so did 5 other people.. I wound up not getting seen until 10:55 and not leaving until 1pm.. way past the time that my husband had to be on his way back to work! Are they delusional?? Do they think they are super heros?? Do they think that we love to wait well past our appointment time?? Do they think that we have nothing better to do with our time?? Don't they realize that by the time I'm seen, my BP can be sky high because I am so darned frustrated?? *sigh* at least the appointment is out of the way.. and I apologize, lol.. but I needed to vent! Jennifer.

I too find it immensly frustrating when doctors offices double and triple book appointments and when waits exceed 20 minutes. No one would dispute a true emergency but 99% of the time this is not the case. It's done for the convenience of the doctor and his/her time so that it's your time that's wasted not theirs. The other thing I want to vent about is the attitude of some members of the office staff (I am not referring to my surgeon- I am lucky to have very nice people to deal with). There is another office that I have to deal with on a regular basis where the staff is rude and arrogant and they know, on some level, that we are just a captive audience. If you need or want to see the doctor, there's not a whole lot you can do. My husband maintains that it all starts at the top and I'm inclined to believe that this is the case. Would YOU allow an office to run this way? Even if the doctor is not aware of what goes on, that does not absolve him/her of the responsibility. Thank you for letting ME vent!! Sue

Here's the other side of the coin: I work for an infertility practice which DOESN'T double book. We have an average of at least 2-3 people with confirmed appointments that do not show up for their initial and or follow up consultations. We still don't double book dispite these high numbers of people not keeping an appointment. What can be done? I don't think there is a happy medium. Just wanted to try to show the other side of the coin. Toni