We try to keep our sanity by not overloading the schedule. We don?t accept walk ins, but we try to accommodate as many phone calls as possible. We keep a few slots open for same day appointments, especially on Mondays.
A lot of same day phone calls (internal medicine) are from pts who have been experiencing symptoms for more than a few days and, for whatever reason, they decide to be seen right away.
We screen these phone calls and for the non-urgent ones we give them the choice of being seen in the next day or two, as schedule permits, or go to the nearest ER, urgent care, if pt decides not to wait for the appointment given. I don?t think it is fair for me or patients to short their scheduled visit, or rush a previously scheduled physical to see someone who has had a cold or a GI upset for a week and demands to be seen the same day. We strive to make everyone happy, but can we?.
