Going to a doctor for the first time can make people a little nervous. This is because they are used to having a different doctor examine them. It usually takes a while before a person gets comfortable with a new doctor. You might be in a situation where you had to change doctors recently. Finding a new one can take some time. This is not a search that you want to rush because you need to be sure that the doctor you choose is someone who has impeccable credentials. Here are several essential things to find out about any doctor when you are looking for a new one.

1. Where did he or she go to medical school?

It is crucial that you discover this info before you allow a doctor to begin treating you. Ideally, you should only go to a doctor who has received his or her medical training from an accredited medical school with a stellar reputation for excellence. There are many doctors practicing medicine who went to foreign medical schools that have lower standards to accept students. You should avoid doctors that went to these medical schools. The doctor’s medical school info is often found on their website. However, this is not always the case.

2. What areas of medicine does he or she specialize in?

Medicine is a very large field. Doctors are only trained in specific areas of medicine in the same way that lawyers are only trained in certain areas of the law. For example, you might be looking for a doctor who specializes in the fields of family medicine bend oregon/internal medicine bend oregon. If this is the case, you need to verify that the doctor you are considering has the necessary training in those fields to provide you with competent treatment.

3. Has he or she ever been sued for malpractice?

Being sued for malpractice does not automatically make someone a bad doctor. There are many instances where a doctor was sued and it was later proven that he or she did nothing wrong. However, you might encounter a doctor who has been sued for malpractice on many occasions. That is a major red flag that could possibly indicate that the doctor is incompetent. Needless to say, doctors will not advertise the fact that they have been sued. Therefore, you will need to find out this info on your own.