I once fell asleep while wearing the paper gown at the gynecologist’s. I don’t know how long I waited, but I had a really nice nap and they were super apologetic when I woke up and popped my head out.
Everytime I go to the dentist, just when I’m about to fall asleep the dentist tells me to keep my mouth open
I get a wedge on the inactive side so I can sleep 💀
As someone that likes to nap, you’ve inspired me for my next visit.
I might get a little antsy once all the lights turn off…
20 minutes, then assuming there’s a closed door, I’ll just leave the door open
If 10 more minutes pass I’m popping my head out and asking for a potential estimate. If I get to 45 minutes and nobody has spoken to me I’m out, and will be quite irritated upon rescheduling. By that point I’ve been there for over an hour and unlike everyone whose taking their sweet time, I’m not being paid to be there.
I’ve watched too many nurses, doctors, and random medical staff just stand around talking outside patient rooms about the latest gossip to believe they’re running behind on appointments anymore. The local network schedules in 20 minute blocks, and I’ve NEVER had a single appointment face to face with a doctor for more than 10. Usually less than 5 unless there’s something majorly wrong. And despite “privacy” of separate rooms, I can hear surrounding rooms taking just as long.
I’m probably being too cynical and harsh, but after almost dying because the asshole who examined me dismissed EXTREMELY obvious signs because “you probably just need to lose weight” I’ve retained less and less patience with local medical staff. And the next closest office/network that will accept my insurance is almost an hour away. So yeah.
Kinda related…
I know why I’m seeing the doctor, my dog doesn’t understand why he needs to see the vet. When you tell us to go in the room don’t make us wait for fuck’s sake, the last time my dog looked like he was trying to escape through the ventilation grill in the ceiling and he pissed and shat on the examination table because he had been building anxiety for 20 minutes!
My vet switched fully to having everyone wait in their cars after COVID. The vet comes to get you directly when they’re ready for you. It’s way better for the pets anxiety.
Where is this? My old vet did that after COVID and I loved it
I am in BC, but I’ve heard of vets doing this all over the place
my dog freaks tf out in the car
When you tell us to go in the room don’t make us wait for fuck’s sake
This is what I don’t get. There’s a waiting room. Why are we sent into a (usually) cramped room with no amenities if the person we’re seeing isn’t immediately available? One time I went to a clinic and the doctor apparently went on their lunch after I’d been walked to the examination room. Like…wtf?
After 5 minutes I go find someone and tell them that I took time off work to be there, we scheduled an appointment for an agreed upon time, and they’re wasting my time with their unprofessional conduct. The doctor usually shows up within minutes after that. Don’t put up with their bullshit. Your time is every bit as valuable as theirs. If there was an emergency then I’m perfectly understanding, but that’s rarely the case.
When I was young I had a difficult time asserting myself. Now in my late 30s, I find myself putting up with less and less bullshit. That said, it’s frustrating that took basically half of my life to learn how to speak my mind. I blame my grandmother for giving me her anxiety.
At least you’re better at it now! Congratulations.
Ive been to the emergency room on a Friday night in Norway (legevakt). It’s about 5 hours. It was fine, it wasn’t appendicitis after all.
There really is no justification for it. It’s part of the American healthcare experience. It makes them money to have no downtime between patients. It costs them nothing to make you wait. They book patient appointments with this philosophy in mind and it’s incredibly disrespectful.
The flipside of this is that they have no downtime between patients because demand is through the roof and there aren’t enough doctors. Predicting how long each visit will take is fraught, plus emergent stuff may come up that throws off the already tight schedule. Better to have a long time in the waiting room than wait weeks/months longer to get an appointment at all
The same reason flights are always overbooked. They rather oversell and hope someone cancels than undersell.
In my clinic the patients are asking if the doctor is 11 minutes late, i ask them if they’ve ever read their letters that state prepare to be here at least 2-3 hours in case of delay. Every patient takes a various amount of time y’all.
Every patient takes a various amount of time y’all.
idk, from the patient’s perspective my experience has been that I get three minutes of doctor time regardless of what my complaint is or even whether the doctor knows what I’m there for. “I’m feeling kinda low lately.” “Here’s an rx for an effexor. I’ll not be explaining what it is, what it does, or any side effects to look out for. If you have any issues, such as a days long hypomanic episode that leads to you sobbing and obsessively vacuuming the floors, here’s the number of someone who cares. NEXT!”
Not my patients, they have complex problems and need a lot of time. Maintaining someone on a real medical keto diet or starting chemotherapy for MS or refilling pain pumps for paraplegics is not a quick task.
My dentist just does this. End of appointment she walks out. No “that’ll be all for you today” or “schedule your next appointment at the counter”
Anyway 10 minutes.
Get a new dentist. I’m in the process of doing this myself
Conversely, you really don’t want to be getting seen promptly at a hospital. Ideally you want to be in the middle third of the priority order; get seen reasonably quickly, but not “holy shit you are going to die if we don’t deal with you now” quickly
I know you really wanted to say this point but it’s mostly unrelated to the original post. The post refers to an exam room, you’re talking about waiting rooms.
why the downvotes this is completely correct. Exam room and waiting room is a totally different story
like 40 minutes maybe?
This sounds right, but also,
the incentive to just chill on my phone because I’m finally in a place where I have permission to do nothing but chill on my phone? Very strong.
Well in this case I have been chilling for 40 minutes already.
An hour? But, I’m easily entertained by my devices and probably wouldn’t notice the time going by. It also heavily depends on what else I have going on; I always pad my schedule for doctors, but even so, there might be something else I have to get to.
It’s medical. The person before me may have needed more time. I think doctors have a harder time than most estimating how much time a patient will need, and I don’t want them rushing me out the door.
For my own appointments, I’m generally on the same page. I have a harder time being as patient when I’m taking one of my kids to the doctor, which is a much more frequent occurrence. I’ve been kept waiting for exorbitant lengths of time at a variety of pediatric clinics, which is unpleasant when your kids object to being confined in a small, boring room for an indefinable amount of time. Sometimes it’s been so egregious that I’ve had to switch to another provider.
Yeah, that sounds live it sucks. I’d hate to have kids in the US with its long wait times and relatively shitty healthcare.
I just start looking for neat shit I can steal for my backpacking first aid kit.
Thanks for the idea!
Seriously tho. Why even bring me in the room if you’re gonna take 45 min to get to me. Those rooms are cold, I’d rather be in the waiting room tbh.
Couple of years ago, I went to an orthopedic clinic with a torn ligament. They tell me to lay down in one of the rooms. An hour passes. Suddenly, the lights in the room and adjacent hallway turn off. They dead-ass forgot me in there and were about to call it a day when I popped my head out.
Ouch that must’ve hurt
