[shados]

Doctors are human though, and different practices have different processes. Some are absolutely the way you describe. Maybe most, I don't know (my experience is limited there).

Personally when I moved to the US, I had one experience like what you describe, at MGH (best hospital in the world! blah blah blah).

I said screw that, went to a local practice (though still a big one, not an independent) instead. My experience over 3 different doctors (my main one and some specialists) closely match your second one. Been happy since then.

The one exception has been GI doctors. Since everyone in the US has digestion related issues because of the crap they eat, GIs are overloaded and ends up following a near assembly line process with patients. That sucks.

[kurthr]

Weird... I don't know anyone with digestion disorders. Well, I know a couple of people who came from India with treatable H.pylori, but that's about it for the last 20 years including friends, family, and co-workers. Maybe it's a different part of the country.

I've definitely had bad doctors and you have to treat them like any professional (Lawyer, Architect, Engineer) who may have very limited time, but certainly they aren't all bad.