Wow, health care administration... I hope you can answer this for me. I had two opposite opinions from
Eye doctors so I sought the best educated ophthalmologist I could find and after hours of reseach, found
One. I made an appt. I was seen by a tech first, then another doctor (turned out to be a "fellow")
Who examined me, diagnosed me and suggested aftercare. The doctor I had the appt with came into the
Examining room for a total of three minutes... looked into my eyes and said she agreed with the doctor
Who saw me. I said nothing (shocked maybe, chicken maybe) but after a few days I wrote a letter to
Her. I said I knew it was a teaching hospital but so were my other doctors and no one switched
Doctors on me. I should have had an option. She never wrote back to me. I was thinking of writing
To the head of the department. Is what she did legal??

Is what who did legal? I don't see anything wrong with this. The "fellow" most likely reported his/her findings to his/her attending. It was then that the attending came in to either agree with or correct the treatment.

You had the right to object to treatment from the "fellow" at your appointment. You didn't.

I didn't because she said Dr. so and so would be in very soon. Every time she did something, she
Said the doctor will be in any minute... when she did come in, it was at the end of everything.
I'm kind of thinking of calling the state to find out if this practice is legal... esp not telling
The patient who traveled 27 miles for one specific doctor.

Yes, it's legal. Unethical not to tell you that it was virtually a student working on you, but legal, yes.

Thank you for getting back to me. I think a patient has a right to know that the person they made the appointment
With would be the one who spends fifteen minutes examining the patient and making a dx and that three minutes of an experts time does not make for the whole picture.

That person WAS a doctor. Just not your doctor. Once they graduate, they are doctors. They still have to do some training though.

I sent for my records. This "fellow" made mistakes... i.e. said I had no allergies... she never asked me; I have tons of them... put down normal in another category when obviously when I told her what meds I was on she had to know
They were endocrine related... she marked everything no or normal. I never got a response for the letter I wrote to the docotor. I may write to the chief of services... not because he'll change anything, but let him know how a patient feels...

That might be a good idea.

Thanks again for getting back to me. I also posted what happened on a website that patients write about their experiences with their doctors... this way, when someone looks her up, they will be forewarned.

In larger groups, you often don't always see "YOUR" doctor, but they are free to have other doctors see you instead