Physical with M.D. or N.P.? Who do you go to?

[boilermakermom]

I am due for a physical (mainly blood work and want to discuss a potential cardiac issue), and don't love my family doctor. He is just ok. I always feel like he is super laid back, and rushes through everything, grumpy.

I asked around and have heard good things about the nurse practitioner in the same practice as my family Dr., but I am leary of seeing someone other than an M.D.

Anyone go to a nurse practitioner for physicals, etc.?

[ellies mom]

I generally prefer nurse practitioners. As a rule, I feel as though they tend to listen more and focus on me as a person more. Although that said, for menopause type symptoms, I’ve decided that women regardless of training take it more seriously than men. So now I have a female MD that I love.


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[klwa]

My official, on-my-insurance-card "doctor" is an NP. I have always had great care with NPs. I have once had her call in the MD due to something being a little outside her level of expertise, and that made me feel even better about using her.

My GYN is an MD, just because that's who I started with.

[calebsmama03]

I generally prefer nurse practitioners. As a rule, I feel as though they tend to listen more and focus on me as a person more. Although that said, for menopause type symptoms, I’ve decided that women regardless of training take it more seriously than men. So now I have a female MD that I love.


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This. They tend to be less rushed and more willing to look at you as a whole person rather than as a symptom. I also agree about female docs and have only ever done female for anything female related after a bad experience in college, but I'd have no hesitation about seeing a NP. None at all.

[basil]

I would never see a NP.

[Kindra178]

I would see a NP for a sinus infection or something of that nature. I get them once a year and treatment is straightforward. I would not see a NP for yearly care. If the NP misses something, they are only held to a standard of a NP, not a MD. Your recovery will be way less as the law allows a NP to know less than a doctor and still practice like a doctor. My problem is that to a patient, there's no difference.

[MSWR0319]

I would never see a NP.

Can you explain why?


OP, I switched my kids to a NP after their pediatrician left. She is wonderful and like others have said, really looks at the whole picture and listens to you. If she's concerned about something and doesn't feel she has the specialty knowledge, she refers us on. I had two different doctors check my son's ferritin levels because I suspected he wasn't sleeping well because of it and they told me that it was fine. She saw the bloodwork results on a visit to her, and she was in disbelief that no one had given him iron because it was so low (and the cause of his RLS). She's much more proactive than most doctor's I've experienced.

[basil]

Can you explain why?

They have very little training, and in general don’t know what they don’t know, which is the scariest way to be.

I’m sure there are some good ones, but you have no way of knowing.

There is a role for physician extenders in medicine. It’s not in new patients, consults, and physical exams though. It’s in guideline based follow up care (ie if blood pressure is X after staring med A, then do Y).

[Kindra178]

They have very little training, and in general don’t know what they don’t know, which is the scariest way to be.

I’m sure there are some good ones, but you have no way of knowing.

There is a role for physician extenders in medicine. It’s not in new patients, consults, and physical exams though. It’s in guideline based follow up care (ie if blood pressure is X after staring med A, then do Y).

The law and standard of care reflect that. A NP who misses a differential diagnosis is only held to the standard of a NP who may not have known that diagnosis.

A friend of mine is a NP who switched to teaching and research because she was constantly worried she was going to miss something. She recognized her knowledge gap.

Basil, I'm interested in your opinion of optometrists for yearly eye exams.

[DualvansMommy]

I switched to a practice that is closer to my home after visiting all female led practice that was 5 mins from my old employer.

With my switch, I wanted my practice to have that small practice feel with N.P but also operate a bigger practice for specialists, allergist, cardiac, etc cuz I still have to request referrals from my PCP for insurance. Which is a PITA so wanted process to be fairly seamless.

My new pcp is female MD and she’s really wonderful, but what I like even more is her office also have two N.P besides herself and another M.D. I see the NP for my smaller issues, but prefer to see my MD for my annual physical though. Standard of care is different with two disclipines.


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