I hope this is the right spot for this question.

I'm looking for a new doctor. I don't like my current one. She's too far away from my house, her receptionist is mean, and it's impossible to get an appointment. So, aside from finding someone closer to me, what things are important to look for? My insurance company's website lists a bunch of stuff and I don't know what half of it means. How important is it for a doctor to be board certified? I found one down the street from me who has good reviews from patients but she's not board certified. And what does DO mean? Most of the names listed have MD next to them. But some have DO. What else should I be looking at?

Osteopath, Doctor of Osteopathy. Board certification applies to specialty practice(s). For instance any MD might engage in practices considered psychiatry. Psychiatrists however, to be board certified, must complete residency in psychiatry and pass specific tests administered by the American Psychiatric Association. Board certified means that they have received advanced training in their specialty and required to pass entry exam and engage in continuing medical education in that specialty. There are many specialties, surgeons, cardiologists, pediatricians, and the list goes on.

So, does that mean if I'm just looking for a general doctor, not a specialist, that board certification isn't so important?

Primary practice, aka general practitioners MDs must meet licensing requirements. So for general medical needs there is no need for board certification.

For a GP or family doctor, board certification is not an issue. Note, though, which hospital(s) he reports to and if you want to go to any of them. Some of the hospitals around here I would not go to for a hangnail. Others that a GP reports to may be far away from where you live, so you could be dead by the time an ambulance got you there.

Call his office and "take the temperature" of the voice and attitude of the one who answers the phone.

Make sure he accepts your insurance plan.

Once you have a list of names, check them at your local public library in the physician directory in reference. I think there is an Web site that evaluates them too. DrBill will know.

Thanks for the tips and helping me understand. Sounds like I've got some homework to do now.

Most states now have their websites for professional registration. There you can determine that a physician is licensed. I wouldn't pay much attention to lack of complaints as these licensing agencies are invariably controlled by physician boards.

Wondergirl had the best advice, inquire about hospital affiliation and it's a tremendous idea to call the office and "take the temp" as she suggests.

The most important part is always patient rating of the respective doctor although I have no idea where you get that information.

I found some sites through Google. I'm just hoping they're trustworthy and from real patients, not someone purposely just putting up good ratings to get people in the office. The doctor I'm looking at now has good ratings on all the sites I glanced at, so that seems like a good sign. She's close. I'll just have to look into the hospitals she's affiliated with and if I like whatever I find out about them and if they're close enough, I'll call the office and get a feel for them.

Your primary doctor is your ringmaster. When I went into the hospital via the ER last September, it was my primary who pulled together a team of specialists to treat my severe anemia, bleeding ulcers, and the breast cancer he serendipitously found while I was there. My primary knows me and knows my meds, so he has macro-managed the medical care I've been under since then, regularly checking with the specialists and me as to my progress.

Not only call the office(s) that you want to "take the temperature" of, but even make an appointment for a legitimate concern and see how the office staff and even the waiting patients behave, the cleanliness of the waiting room and bathroom, how the magazines are arranged, how promptly you get in, the attitude and behavior of the doctor himself. And, of course, a referral from a friend or relative whose opinion you value would be a good first step.