What to Ask During Your First Visit to a New Doctor

Dear Jacques,

I hear you. You’re saying, “The question to ask these days, Doc, simply is ‘How expensive are you?’”

And while this is a real and valid concern, I encourage you to not allow cost to determine if a doctor is right for you or not. Honestly, you can’t afford to.

Instead, I encourage you to talk with the new doctor about your concerns, tell him/her how you have been treated for your condition in the past, and what medications you are taking. Then…

Ask him/her some or all of the following questions, depending upon your individual situation

Will you involve me in decisions about my treatment?


Would you work with me on therapies I’d like to try?


Are you open to therapies that are not strictly allopathic (conventional)?


What is your experience treating my condition?


How do you feel about preventive health care?


What do you think about vitamin supplementation?


How do you feel about a patient seeing other specialists?


How do you feel about your patients getting second opinions?


Do you explain therapies and tests you prescribe to your patients?


Do you explain why you prescribe them?


If you recommend that I take tests right away, will you explain why I should take them?


How much continuing medical education do you receive each year?


Are you available to your patients in cases of emergency?


Which hospital(s) are you affiliated with? Why?


On average, how much time do you spend with each patient?
This is a rather exhaustive list of questions and you’ll have to decide which make sense for you. But it is so important that you ask as many questions as possible so that you obtain the information you need to make a wise and informed health care choice.

You’ll also want to know…

During that first office visit, I also want you to get a gauge on this new doctor’s level of compassion. Does he/she look directly at you, touch you, examine you? Many doctors these days don’t. Does he/she smile and appear to be connecting with you and with your struggle? Tragically, many do not. Does he/she inspire you to take care of yourself? Sadly, many won’t.

I was fortunate enough, years ago, to come across the teachings of Dr. Francis Peabody who stated that one of the essential qualities of a clinician is an interest in humanity. He wrote in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) back in 1927, “The secret of care of the patient is caring for the patient.”

Those words have echoed in the back of my mind ever since I became a physician myself. And they had a lot to do with my creation of the “Top Docs” list that I’ve made available to subscribers of my printed newsletter. Here, in one concise report, I list the names and contact information for wonderful, gifted doctors from all over the country who use conventional, integrative, and alternative methods to heal. The feedback I’ve gotten from this report has been phenomenal, evidence of the fact that this is information that people want and badly need.

I know about 80% of the “top docs” personally and met many of them originally at medical conferences where they, like me, were studying to stay abreast of health care developments. While I know that there are many other great doctors out there, these are the men and women I know, the ones I recommend to my own family and friends.

Tough times call for smart health care choices

Now more than ever before, you have to be smart about your health.

Ask your doctor and other health care providers the questions you need to ask. If you feel rushed or are not satisfied with the answers you get or with other aspects of your visit, start your search over. Continue to look for a practitioner who you feel is willing and able to be your partner. You deserve it and you’re paying for it.

Make every office visit worth your time and money. Prepare a list of things you want to talk about with the doctor. Take a family member or friend who will listen with you and may catch some advice or counsel that you miss. Take notes during the visit. Do whatever you can to maximize the valuable, expensive time you spend with your doctor.

Do your best to keep better records than ever before. You may be able to save money on tests that were recently run if you can take previous test results with you.

Be your own advocate. Read material like Heart, Health & Nutrition so that you’re on top of your particular health concern and are able to discuss it and recommend your own treatment choices. As a practicing physician, I can tell you that an informed patient is the best patient. Also, take care of yourself so that your health worries and visits to the doctor are few and far between.

In a nutshell, I’ll tell you like I tell my own patients and my newsletter subscribers, nobody cares about your health more than you, so please do what you can to preserve it.

To your health,

Stephen Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C, F.A.C.N

P.S. This is just a sampling of the type of information I share each month with subscribers to Heart, Health & Nutrition. If you’re ready to take your health care more seriously, I invite you to join us today. We’re on a quest toward realizing the best health possible, and I hope you’ll join us for the ride.


Dr. Stephen Sinatra is a practicing cardiologist with an integrative approach to health and healing.

Dr. Sinatra is also the author of the monthly newsletter, Heart, Health & Nutrition, which includes his best advice on heart health, diet and nutrition, exercise, and much more.

Jacques' note: I join you in thanking Dr. Stephen Sinatra for this straight-forard, important contribution to health and wellness!