Day surgery centers

I could really use some advice here:
So, my cousin has an outpatient referral and has been showing up regularly, but he’s stuck with this one doctor "in charge" of his care, and honestly? There is zero connection there. It hasn’t worked from day one—he tried to be cooperative, but she just stays incredibly arrogant and totally unapproachable. She runs through his tests like they’re just items on a checklist—super rushed, super clinical, and without ever actually listening to what’s going on with him. The last straw was when she literally left him sitting there in the exam chair just waiting while she went off to take care of her own personal business🙄. And get this—right before him, she squeezed in her former boss from Internal Medicine plus two other people. He was stuck waiting for four hours! We even tried asking the nurse running the outpatient clinic if we could just schedule him with someone else next time, but apparently, that’s a total non-starter—they told us once you get an appointment, you're stuck with whoever happens to be on call; you don't get to pick your physician. Since the wait times at the main clinic are usually five months or even longer, he’s been forced to use the outpatient center, but now he’s just completely fed up with the whole thing.

As a long-time patient—and someone currently navigating outpatient care—I feel I can offer a little "observation."

I frequently observe people expecting doctors to be at their beck and call, instantly and without delay.
If there’s a wait, they think it’s unacceptable—after all, why on earth should a patient spend over an hour sitting in a clinic lobby?
Yet, if the doctor sees everyone immediately, they're labeled as superficial, which is also considered wrong.
Waiting hours when you're feeling unwell is tough—but the doctor in the exam room isn't just sitting there watching movies either.
If they step out for a moment, it doesn't necessarily mean they've gone to a private consultation (often they're being called from the surgical ward because something needs clarification). Or perhaps they're just tending to personal business—well, everyone has those unavoidable needs now and then.
I once saw a former boss get seen out of turn—and honestly... people cut lines everywhere. It's something you just have to accept since it's unlikely to change.
It's happened to me too—someone has seen me out of order because they knew me, and I certainly didn't complain back then. 😁

Often when I visit the outpatient clinic, I don't even see the doctor. I check in with the nurse—there have even been times when no nurse was visible, so I'd either wait or track down where the staff had moved to. But it’s always handled in a pleasant, upbeat tone, and I’ve never received a single arrogant response.

How a patient carries themselves toward medical staff is incredibly important.
Actually, I’d go so far as to say it’s the most crucial factor.
I’ve never handed out envelopes or gifts, of course, but bringing a little chocolate or a coffee here and there won't hurt anyone—it certainly won't make them rich!—and it serves as a lovely gesture.
A simple smile and a warm, sincere greeting upon arrival definitely helps break through the "shell" of even the grumpiest doctor.

This part is a bit confusing to me:

Rebecca Howard82 said:he accepted her

If he "accepted" her, then there must have been some sort of aversion or outright rejection from the patient toward the doctor initially.
There is no "accepting" or "rejecting" here—it's not about hate or love.
They are simply doing their jobs, and we should try to be as easygoing and uncomplicated as possible; it makes their work easier (and more pleasant), which in turn makes them less cranky.
It is much better to be remembered for a smile than as a "grouch."

Maybe a certain relative should reconsider their stance—if that doctor truly is the type who hates herself in the morning and the whole world by the afternoon, then perhaps she should consider filing a formal complaint with the hospital director?!

I don't really get how people walk into an outpatient clinic and end up with some random doctor they've never met. Every time I schedule a follow-up, I make sure it’s with my regular physician—unless, of course, I specifically ask to switch things up.
What really gets under my skin about these clinic visits, though, is the inefficiency. My doctor spends maybe two minutes with me before handing off my labs and paperwork to some intern. And it’s never the same intern twice. It’s exhausting having to retell my entire medical history and re-explain my concerns from scratch just to get a straight answer on what comes next.

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