Best Primary Care Physicians Near Me in Sheridan, WY | WebMD (2024)

FAQs

Best Primary Care Physicians Near Me in Sheridan, WY | WebMD? ›

Internal medicine doctors

These doctors, also called internists, are trained to treat both simple and complex conditions from early adulthood through old age.

Internal medicine doctors

These doctors, also called internists, are trained to treat both simple and complex conditions from early adulthood through old age.

In addition to retirements, some physicians have left clinical medicine altogether or gone to work for pharmaceutical companies or to get their business degrees. Staffing shortages have compounded the difficulty of the work, contributing to burnout and causing more physicians to leave.

It's necessary to visit a primary care doctor for persistent illnesses or for close monitoring of a pre-existing condition. While a nurse practitioner can handle these issues, your primary care doctor may be more adept at analyzing your entire medical history to troubleshoot issues and create a treatment plan.

A point of distinction arises when comparing PCPs and family doctors. While both focus on comprehensive care, family doctors tend to patients across all age demographics, from infants to the elderly, while PCPs specialize in adult medicine.

If you detect that a doctor is indifferent or uncaring, it is best to steer clear. Warning signs of a bad attitude include being consistently cold, rude, or dismissive of your concerns. Good doctors are warm, interested, and engaged and will take the time to make you feel comfortable.

Make a list of several possible doctors. Once you have a general sense of what you are looking for, ask friends and relatives, medical specialists, and other health professionals for the names of doctors with whom they have had good experiences. Rather than just getting a name, ask about the person's experiences.

One of the main reasons healthcare workers are quitting their jobs is burnout. Long hours, high stress, and low pay have taken a toll on doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

If you feel your primary care doctor doesn't take your symptoms seriously, ask for a referral to a specialist or go to a different practice for a second opinion. A fresh set of eyes can be extremely helpful. Review how to present your symptoms factually, clearly, quickly, and without unnecessary minutiae.

Doctors keep shouldering ever-larger workloads, creating a vicious cycle that spurs them to leave the profession in droves. In turn, patients are increasingly unable to form the close relationships with providers that we know are valuable for their health.

How many times a year should you see your primary care doctor? ›

While opinions vary, routine physical exams are generally recommended once a year if you're over the age of 50, and once every 3 years if you're younger than 50 and in good health. If you have a chronic disease or other ongoing health issues, you should see your doctor more often, no matter how old you are.

Then you go to an “exam room” where the doctor sees you–and the first thing the doctor does is to ask you what's wrong with you–why you are there. Doctors call this the patient's “history”, and it is the most important part of the process of figuring out what is causing your problems and what can be done about it.

A primary care physician (PCP), or primary care provider, is a health care professional who practices general medicine. PCPs are our first stop for medical care. Most PCPs are doctors, but nurse practitioners and physician assistants can sometimes also be PCPs.

A doctor of osteopathic medicine graduates from a U.S. osteopathic medical school. A doctor of medicine, also known as an M.D., graduates from a traditional medical school. A major difference between D.O.s and M.D.s is that some doctors of osteopathic medicine use manual medicine as part of treatment.

Family physicians are trained to diagnose and treat an entire spectrum of medical issues for patients of all ages. “Family physicians have a broader scope,” Dr. Doggett explains.