Dr. Awesome
November 10, 2009 4:05 PM Subscribe
Do you know an amazing primary care physician in NYC? What makes them amazing? Do you think they'd be interested in mentoring a student?
Greetings MeFites!
I'm hoping you could let me know about the particularly great primary care physicians you have known and loved in NYC. Maybe it's your physician. Maybe you have a friend or colleague who you respect and admire. Maybe they would like to mentor an eager student....
I'm a first year medical student seeking a primary care mentor to shadow in the spring, and I'm hoping you can help me find some doctors who may be interested. But even if you don't know someone who would be interested in mentoring a student, I'd like to know what makes a doctor outstanding for you.
For me, a great doctor is compassionate and goes the extra mile for their patients. I can tell you that one of my favorite physicians always took the time to explain how she came to a diagnosis, why she chose a particular drug, and when she saw that I was curious about my condition, gave me primary literature related to my illness. That was a really nice touch.
In terms of mentors, I would like to find someone compassionate who cares for interesting and diverse patients. Originally I wrote out a list of qualities I'd like to see, but on reflection I'm much more interested in hearing what makes a doctor great for you.
Also, someone on MeFi mentioned a "Rock Doc" in the East Village who works on a sliding scale with a great many uninsured artists and musicians who sounded like a mench, but I'm having trouble finding the post right now.
And if you recently heard someone say "Goodness! If only I had an opportunity to pass on my knowledge and wisdom, compassion for patients and general awesomeness to a medical student!" well then you know who to call.
Greetings MeFites!
I'm hoping you could let me know about the particularly great primary care physicians you have known and loved in NYC. Maybe it's your physician. Maybe you have a friend or colleague who you respect and admire. Maybe they would like to mentor an eager student....
I'm a first year medical student seeking a primary care mentor to shadow in the spring, and I'm hoping you can help me find some doctors who may be interested. But even if you don't know someone who would be interested in mentoring a student, I'd like to know what makes a doctor outstanding for you.
For me, a great doctor is compassionate and goes the extra mile for their patients. I can tell you that one of my favorite physicians always took the time to explain how she came to a diagnosis, why she chose a particular drug, and when she saw that I was curious about my condition, gave me primary literature related to my illness. That was a really nice touch.
In terms of mentors, I would like to find someone compassionate who cares for interesting and diverse patients. Originally I wrote out a list of qualities I'd like to see, but on reflection I'm much more interested in hearing what makes a doctor great for you.
Also, someone on MeFi mentioned a "Rock Doc" in the East Village who works on a sliding scale with a great many uninsured artists and musicians who sounded like a mench, but I'm having trouble finding the post right now.
And if you recently heard someone say "Goodness! If only I had an opportunity to pass on my knowledge and wisdom, compassion for patients and general awesomeness to a medical student!" well then you know who to call.
Best answer: Dr. Hammer at Grammercy Park Physicians always sat down with me across a desk in his office (while I was still clothed) to discuss what brought me to his office before having me strip down and reducing the problem to blood pressure and height/weight. It ALWAYS made me feel more like a person than a statistic, and it ALWAYS made me trust him more.
posted by bunnycup at 4:44 PM on November 10, 2009
posted by bunnycup at 4:44 PM on November 10, 2009
Best answer: I don't live in NYC, but I can tell you two things that make me love my doctors: first, when they don't make me feel like they are rushed. I don't know how this works, but my primary care doc always seemed to have enough time with me, even though I'm sure there were other people waiting. The other is when one of my doctors gave me his cell phone number when we were trying to get a level of medication right. He said "call me on Saturday morning after you've taken this medicine for a day so we can see how you feel." It made me feel incredibly well cared for. He didn't have to do that, but he knew I was distressed about it. (I think he also realized I wasn't the kind of patient who was going to abuse the number).
posted by dpx.mfx at 5:26 PM on November 10, 2009
posted by dpx.mfx at 5:26 PM on November 10, 2009
Best answer: Yep, I highly recomment Amy Bleyer at MHMG as well!
posted by chelseagirl at 6:48 PM on November 10, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by chelseagirl at 6:48 PM on November 10, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Dr. Neil Calman at the Institute for Family Health in Union Square (16 E 16th St) runs an excellent family practice organization. He's pretty busy but a good guy. The other doc there who I would really recommend is Red Schiller, I think his real name is Robert. You can read more about each of them here:
http://institute2000.org/org/leaders/neil%20calman.html
http://institute2000.org/org/leaders/robert%20schiller.html
They are both pretty cool, just send them an email.
posted by blue_bicycle at 6:21 PM on November 11, 2009 [1 favorite]
http://institute2000.org/org/leaders/neil%20calman.html
http://institute2000.org/org/leaders/robert%20schiller.html
They are both pretty cool, just send them an email.
posted by blue_bicycle at 6:21 PM on November 11, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Dr. Tammy Leopold (she's got her own practice). She's utterly amazing. I have told people that if I ever got offered thousands of dollars to leave New York, I wouldn't do it, because I'd have to leave Dr. Leopold. She is wonderful for many different things (including mentoring my former roommate who's now a first year med student in California), but mostly for the fact that she always gives every patient all the time they need. She also pays attention to everything you say, and asks LOTS of questions. MeMail me if you want her contact info.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:36 PM on November 12, 2009
posted by ocherdraco at 8:36 PM on November 12, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by blaneyphoto at 4:21 PM on November 10, 2009