How to Find the Top Doctor for a Specific Medical Field

Whether you are seeking medical care for yourself or a loved one, doctors specialize in a variety of practices ranging from cardiology and oncology to pediatrics and urology. Choosing the top doctor in a specific medical field can help you make important medical decisions and seek the right treatment --- but there are often so many doctors in each field. Top doctors in the United States in all fields are ranked annually by medical organizations including Washington University Physicians in partnership with Castle Conolly Medical Ltd. Rankings for each field are comprised of professional qualifications such as education, board certification, hospital appointment and disciplinary record, as well as reputation and patient skills. Finding the top doctor for you can be achieved using a few different resources.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify the specific field for which you are seeking a doctor. Speak to your private physician or general medicine doctor and seek a professional referral for that specific field of medicine. Speak to family members and friends for personal referrals. Call your local hospital to inquire on its referral process. Compile a list of several recommended doctors.

• 2

  Familiarize yourself with some of the medical terms you will encounter. For example, many people do not know what a Fellow is as it pertains to Doctors. Fellowship is an honorary designation and mark of distinction given to recognize ongoing individual service and contributions to the practice of medicine and indicates a particular doctor is, and has been, focused on making concerted effort to be a better doctor. (See a list in "Resources" to use as a tool to decipher some of the terms and acronyms.)

• 3

  Review the most current list of America's Top Doctors as published annually by Washington University Physician's. Doctors are listed in alphabetical order by last name followed by their area of practice. Scoll the list to find the your desired field. Most of the doctors names are a hyperlink. You can click on the hyperlink to view specific information about the doctor including current position, specialty areas (For example, a Doctor of Radiology/Diagnostic --- Cardiothoracic might specialize in chest radiology, cardiac imaging and emergency radiology), location doctor sees patients, mailing location, areas of clinical interest, board certification, medical education, residency, fellowship, hospital affiliations, major and recent publications/awards, honors and awards, editorial responsibilities and publications. It is a great deal of information but will provide you with a thorough overview of the doctor's experience and focus and help you develop criteria for researching other doctors. Add any doctor's names of interest to your list.

• 4

  Review current publications that focus on recognition of top hospitals such as "U.S. News & World Reports" list of Best Hospitals. This general overview of top hospitals will also include additional lists of the best hospitals by speciality such as U.S. News Best Hospitals: Neurology and Neurosurgery. This list includes hospital name, type of hospital, number of beds, rankings, reputation with physicians, skill level of nursing staff and survival averages. Identify any hospitals of interest. Visit the hospital website for a list of physicians for your desired field. Add any doctor's names of interest to your list.

• 5

  Visit the websites of professional medical associations by the field of medical study and practice (see "Resources" for a list of all certified and current Medical Academies and Healthcare Professional Associations. For example, American College of Cardiology can be found at cardiosource.org. You can click on "Practice Management" and then click on "Find a Cardiologist Directly." Click on "Parenting Corner" at the American Academy of Pediatrics website and you will be directed to Healthy Children, a website supported by AAP for parenting. Click on "Tips & Tools." Here you can search for an AAP member pediatrician, pediatric sub-specialist or pediatric surgical specialist. You can also find a doctor through the American Medical Association website under "Doctor Finder." Add any doctor's names of interest to your list.

• 6

  Cross check any names against those previously referred. Research each doctor on your list for whom you would like additional information. Visit your state Medical Board website. Initiate a search for a licensed provider. Type in the last name of the doctor and then click on "View Profile." The state medical board will include the doctor's medical education, training, specialty board certifications, hospital privileges and any disciplinary action.

• 7

  Decide what criteria is most critical to you regarding the doctor's professional portfolio are then prioritize those criteria. Most rankings begin with education, experience, board certifications and hospital affiliations. Consider education and determine if it is most relevant to you the doctor attended Ivy-League or state schools. Evaluate experience. According to CNN Health, a 2005 study of more than 1,500 doctors who implanted cardiac defibrillators in their patients over a three-year period found that the rate of complications within three months of the surgery was roughly 60 percent higher for doctors who had implanted fewer than 10 of the devices than for doctors who'd implanted more than 29.

• 8

  Consider board certifications and what that means to you. There are over 600,000 physicians in the United States and over half are board certified. To become board certified, a doctor must complete a specific training program for their speciality and pass a very challenging exam. Board certification demonstrates the doctor had substantial knowledge of the field to successfully pass the exam.

• 9

  Review hospital affiliations and what that means to you. Ranking services include this criteria as a consideration for evaluating the top doctors in the U.S. Each doctor must receive admitting privileges from a hospital in order to be granted the right to admit patients. Hospitals research a national data bank (not accessible to patients), which provides history of malpractice and any disciplinary action against the doctor. Many hospitals will not give admitting privileges to doctors with bad records.

• 10

  Assess how important awards, honors or fellowship status is to you. Finally, if you are seeking a cardiologist specializing in nuclear cardiology, evaluate which doctors on the list have your desire sub-speciality. If you are not seeking a sub-specialty, identify what other elements are most relevant to you such as gender and location.

• 11

  Rank the doctor's on your list by your prepared criteria. Choose one or more and schedule an appointment to meet the doctor(s) in person. Prepare a list of questions pertinent to your specific medical need or condition to ask the doctor when you meet. Consult your own private physician or general medical doctor for advice on specific questions to ask. You can also visit the website of the professional medical association to review current news, topics and trends relevant to that field of study.

• 12

  Meet the doctor(s) in person and ask your questions. Feel free to ask about experience or number of times the doctor has performed a certain procedure. Ask about areas of research or any publications regarding trends or medical advancements you have read. Make notes on the doctor's personality, ability to answer questions, ease of discussion. Determine your comfort level in discussing your medical conditions or concerns with this person and if you are confident in their "bedside manner." Review your notes and select the doctor that best fits your criteria.