You might have recently been diagnosed with a thyroid condition and have been told that you need to see an endocrinologist. How do you find one that is right for you? For example, if you need an endocrinologist in Michigan, here are some ways that you can do that.
Ask Your Doctor
Your doctor can make this a pretty easy search. They might have someone they know off the top of their head. Make sure that the one that they recommend is in your medical insurance network. Otherwise, you could wind up paying significantly more. If you are moving soon after the diagnosis, then you might have to widen your search net.
Ask Your Family and Friends
Someone else in your close circle might have had to see one for conditions like diabetes, some cancers, and even infertility. If they live in your area, they could have someone that they can recommend. Again, make sure that you won’t have to be paying a lot extra.
Ask Your Insurance Provider
Here’s another way that you can possibly make your search a very short one. Most insurance providers have a search function on their websites that allows you to narrow down the type of doctor that you are looking for and how close they are to your home. That eliminates the part of the in-network dilemma, but you also want to make sure that they are accepting new patients. It can be aggravating to find one that’s near you, but they aren’t taking new people. Alas.
Once you have found one, you want to make sure that they fit some criteria.
- They Have Experience: While doctors do have to start their career at some point, you’d likely want someone who didn’t just finish up their last internship and join a practice. It’s better to see an endocrinologist who has seen a variety of conditions and knows how to treat them
- They Listen to You: Yes, doctors are very busy people. You still want to be heard. Make sure that they take the extra time to hear what you’re saying. It can also help to write your symptoms and concerns out beforehand. That will make things easier on the doctor and help ensure that they know what you are going through.
- They Treat You Like a Person Not a Number – You want to feel valued. A good endocrinologist will do that. They will also explain their thinking about any diagnosis.
Now it’s a matter of treating whatever condition you have. Follow all the instructions that you are given, though ask for any clarification as necessary. That can work to prevent any issues from occurring later on. Then it’s time for you to go live the best life that you possibly can.