I was referred to a “dermatologist” recently that turned out to be a PA with a background in nutrition. She had virtually no experience with actual dermatology. I was forced to wait over an hour after my appointment was set to begin, and my insurance was billed $500 for a 15-minute visit. She did not improve my situation one iota, so that was a complete waste of time and money.
Our health system is failing spectacularly at every level.
the overwhelming amount of things that patients come into a dr's office with do not required an actual MD to diagnose and treat - NP's and PA's do just fine in most cases.
Heck, even regular nurses with a few years experience could probably look at your sore throat, check your blood sugars and adjust your meds.
Everybody thinks whatever they have wrong with them is something unique and special that requires a full blown MD - usually it is not.
If I need a transplant, I am going to want a full blown MD to do it - for most run of the mill things, I am happy to see a NP or PA.
