Finding The Right Doctor

Finding The Right Doctor

When you have received a breast cancer diagnosis, your first consideration is finding the best care possible. Having the right Breast Cancer Surgeon Waxahachie is an important step in your recovery. Picking the right doctor is important as you want to have the right team on your side treating and supporting you during your surgery and recovery.

Researching doctors can be time-consuming, but the effort is well worth it. Such an important decision should not be rushed and by asking the proper questions and keeping important considerations in mind, you help ensure you and your doctor (and his team) are a good match. Here are some of the things to consider when picking a doctor.

What To Consider When Choosing A Doctor

Communication Skills

You and your doctor need to be able to properly communicate with one another. This includes listening, explaining things, and proper consideration of your concerns. Communication is a two-way street, and you should be able to ask questions to both clarify what the doctor is saying and verify any information you have such as medical information you may have looked up to better inform yourself.

When getting a feel for a doctor’s communicative skills, it can take multiple appointments to see how well you communicate with a doctor.

Expertise

The right doctor should have the skills and specialization you are looking for to treat your condition. For breast cancer, you want a doctor who focuses on this specific ailment, its treatment, and care. Don’t be afraid to ask about new advancements in treatment or care options. Your doctor should be aware of relevant advancements in medicine and have options for your treatment you may have not heard of or even considered.

Good Staff

A doctor’s staff should be up for the task as well. They should be accessible, helpful, and willing to assist in areas where they can provide support, such as setting up appointments. This makes the process go more smoothly as the treatment of breast cancer is a multiple-step process involving your doctor, their staff, and other medical professionals such as medical oncologists and radiation oncologists.

Long Term Availability

Some types of breast cancer require long-term treatment to successfully recover from it. When selecting a doctor, consider the time frame. An older doctor who is close to retirement may not be able to work with you for the needed number of years.

Choosing a doctor who is going to be practicing for the foreseeable future creates consistency in your care and treatment. You and your doctor will be working together, and it can be hard to rebuild that kind of doctor-patient relationship if changes have to be made part way through your treatment.