In his book, How Doctors Think, author Jerome Groopman, M.D., says that he would not go to a doctor if he thought that the doctor didn’t like him. (See Books for summary)

This man is a distinguised researcher, clinician and professor, so he is about as numbers-savvy as it gets. Still, he places a lot of emphasis on the quality of the patient-doctor relationship along with the objective data about physicians’ performance.

He asked some of his Harvard Medical School colleagues the same question. They all said that they would move to another doctor if they sensed that the doctor didn’t like them.

Groopman also notes that patients have a keener sense about doctors’ attitudes toward them than physicians think.

It is true that many patients don’t see their doctors more than once a year, if that.

But liking? That is almost instant. Of course, we all have bad days. If you meet the doctor for the first time when you are miserable or the waiting room is overflowing, you may not know whether you like each other right away.

Building the trust to work together when you may be seriously ill takes time.

But that relationship can’t happen if you and your doctor don’t like each other.

One internist says, “If it isn’t right in three visits, it’s not going to be right. Move on.”

Good advice.