Finding a physician has always been a tedious process to me (and that's with a physician husband…read morewho can get recommendations and feedback from people in the business), so I wanted to pay it forward and review ones that I like or don't like, in case it might help anyone else.
I've only seen Dr. Faulkner a couple times because I just started my 2nd trimester, but so far, I like her.
I split my time between the East Coast and West Coast a lot during my pregnancy. Dr. Faulkner not only agreed that it was a good idea to establish care on the West Coast in case I needed to go to appointments or something happened, but she offered to print out a report / summary of my care here to take along. It's a small gesture, but I appreciate it. With everyone else freaking out (rightly or wrongly; family, friend, or total stranger) about everything else (why the freak outs? Humans have been getting pregnant for millennia... just saying), it helps so much when your doctor is calm, gives the impression of confidence, and helps things go smoothly. Plus, I've read reviews of other physicians, or at least their receptionists, lashing out at patients who, for one reason or another, had to go elsewhere once, and were told not to come back. That's rather petty, and kind of crazy. I don't aim to piss off my physician, but I much prefer one who is willing to work with the realities of my life.
There are days when appointments happen quickly enough, and days when I've had to wait an hour. It frankly doesn't bother me, as for better or for worse, I've grown accustomed to that from many different physicians' offices, but I can see how it might bother others.
Some appointments are super short. My husband expressed some vague discomfort to me after our last one, but as I didn't have any questions or concerns myself (Dr. Faulkner had asked me if I did), I didn't have a problem with it. Whether that makes me a simply clueless patient, I don't know, but as I said, she asked if I had questions before we ended the appointment, so she's at least open to them.
She ordered some blood tests for me, and while I had some snags with the company that performs them (separate from her practice), I wasn't really blindsided by anything. The bills I got were in line with what I was told to expect (I've read reviews where some people are shocked by the cost after they've already agreed to the test with a different physician), and I was informed of the results that I cared about (namely, genetic ones) in a timely fashion.
Dr. Faulkner is associated with Yale New Haven Hospital, so that's where you will be delivering your kid. She gave us some printouts about Yale to follow up with any tours or classes we might want to take there.
A couple things that were surprises to me:
- My first appointment involved an ultrasound, but because it was so early in my pregnancy (8th week), it required a transvaginal one. I wish I'd known in advance, because I seriously would've pushed the appointment back a bit further just to use the regular one.
- My second appointment involved a Pap smear for my regular checkup. Also wish I had known, so that I could mentally prepare (I'm a skittish GYN patient). She did say that I could pass on it if I wanted to because the new recommendations are now to have one every 3-5 years if you haven't had an abnormal one, but although I knew it was definitely less than 3 years, I couldn't remember the exact date, so I went ahead with it anyway.