| How do patients find doctors to do a second | | | | be seen by one of the doctors in training. The |
| opinion? | | | | doctors in training, interns, residents, fellows, are |
| Patients should ask their primary care doctor, | | | | supervised by the doctor. |
| either an internist or family physician, who to see | | | | Is there an advantage of seeking a second opinion |
| for a second opinion. Often their doctor refers | | | | at a research and teaching hospital? |
| patients to specialists and will be familiar with | | | | Doctors at research and teaching hospitals |
| different doctor groups in the community. | | | | typically have the latest treatments and |
| Another option to find a doctor is by using the | | | | technologies available to them. They also have |
| physician directory of a professional medical | | | | valuable expertise in treating rare medical |
| society. For example to find an orthopaedic | | | | problems. Patients with especially difficult diseases |
| surgeon, going to the American Academy of | | | | which has failed conventional therapies or patients |
| Orthopaedic Surgeons website, one can find | | | | with rare illnesses will often seek out these large |
| doctors by zip code, city, or state. | | | | research and teaching hospitals. Because these |
| The third option is to find the nearest medical | | | | doctors see a large number of these uniquely |
| school or university hospital and ask to see a | | | | challenging medical cases, their experience is far |
| doctor who is staffed there. Through these | | | | better than a doctor in the community who may |
| medical centers' websites you often can get a | | | | only see one case in an entire career. |
| name and an idea of the individual doctor's | | | | Patients who would get the most benefit from a |
| background and experience. Because are often | | | | research and teaching hospital are those with |
| teaching hospitals, be sure to clarify if you only | | | | medical problems that are rare or that have failed |
| want to see that doctor or if it would be ok to | | | | traditional treatments. |