How to Find a Qualified Doctor

The health of you and your family is of the utmost importance, and finding a good doctor whom you are comfortable with is important. There are a number of steps you can take to make sure you find a qualified physician and specialized doctor. From personal sources of information to governing medical bodies, there is plenty of accessible information if you look in the right places. The more time you spend preparing and researching, the more confident you'll feel in picking the right doctor.

Things You'll Need

• Phone book
• Internet

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Instructions

How To Find A Qualified Family Doctor

• 1

  Talk to family and friends. It's likely that they will recommend their personal doctor or give you the names of any they have dealt with. You'll probably have the best luck trusting the recommendations of the people you know.

• 2

  Search the local phone book. If you've been given the name of a family doctor, you can easily locate her medical office and contact information. If you've had no recommendations, look under the "physician" section of your local phone book and choose a few names.

• 3

  Do a general Internet search. Once you have the name of a doctor, use a search engine to find the doctor's contact information and website. On the website will be a list of his qualifications, which will include his years as a doctor and where his offices are.

• 4

  Search an online doctor directory. You can input a doctor's name into an online directory such as the American Medical Association to check that his qualifications are legitimate.

How To Find A Qualified Specialized Doctor

• 5

  Ask for a referral. If you need specialized treatment, then the first step would be to ask for a referral from your family doctor.

• 6

  Research online directories such as the American College of Surgeons directory (facs.org) to find a qualified surgeon or the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website (www1.plasticsurgery.org) to find a cosmetic surgeon. There are several other sites you can visit depending on the type of specialist you are searching for.

• 7

  Check your health insurance plan. Check whether your health insurance plan will cover the specialized doctor of your choice. If the doctor's visit won't be covered by your insurance company, a representative can give you an alternative option.