Chapter 6: Hunting The Elusive Top Specialist and Surgeon

Finding a top specialist is easier than getting in to see one.

The world has changed greatly since my son saw over a dozen specialists searching for an answer to his puzzling problems. He had four neurologists over those eight years. In the beginning of the 21st century, we often only had to wait two weeks to a month to see a specialist.

No matter where you live, that wait time has grown dramatically. I recently learned I had to wait over six months to see one specialist. I kept that appointment on the books but found an alternative a bit further away with an earlier opening. I did so in case I needed a second opinion. Of course, keeping that appointment jams up the specialist's calendar for other patients. I should care but in today's American healthcare, access is valuable and hard to give up.

There is one highly undesirable exception to long wait times; if you are in the emergency department (ED) or have been admitted to a hospital. Then, the hospital often assigns you to attending specialists, meaning experts who work for the hospital. In that …