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How do you choose a new Obgyn?

Asked by preggers (293points) April 16th, 2009

Everyone seems to have an opinion, but I’m not sure who to listen to…
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I googled suggestions. One site suggested that I ask the head nurse at a local, reputable hospital for a recommendation. Makes sense because they see all the doctors at their best and at their worst. Except they’re too busy to return any of my calls.

I tried to narrow it down. I used my insurance company’s site to find Board Certified Obgyns within a ten-mile radius. I also made sure that they were affiliated with the hospital I want to have my delivery. That got it down to 40 doctors.

I asked for recommendations. My sister’s friend (doctor with two kids) gave me three recommendations. One wasn’t Board Certified and another doesn’t seem to have a medical license in California! (There is a site where you can check the status of a physician’s medical license.) The third recommendation looks okay, but seems a bit discredited by the other two.

My husband’s co-worker (mother of two) also gave me a recommendation. But her recommendation has a really poor Yelp review. I know Yelp isn’t exactly known for its medical reviews, but 2 stars seems pretty low. (Most of the other reviews seem to be at least 3 stars.)

I read reviews. I tried to narrow down my list a bit further by reading reviews on HealthGrades.com, Yelp and some local online boards. I’m not really sure how dependable these sites are.

Finally, I asked my general practitioner. They recommended a doctor. They said that she comes highly recommended. She accepted my insurance plan, was Board Certified, was located just down the street, was affiliated with my preferred hospital, had a current medical license and had favorable reviews on HealthGrades, Yelp and that local online board.

I decided to go with their recommendation.
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Now I’m feeling a little uncertain about my choice.

How should I go about finding a new Obgyn? I’ve exhausted my ideas (with questionable results). How did you you find your Obgyn?

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