The ABMS Directory will only list those who are board-certified. While we tend to associate this process with specialists, primary care physicians are also encouraged to seek certification. Both of these print directories include the name of the medical school attended, the year of graduation, location and length of residency, where licensed and when issued, board certifications, hospital affiliations and lengths of stay at each, and memberships in professional organizations. Generally we might expect an older doctor to be more experienced, so the number of years since completion of medical school or residency is a consideration. Hospital affiliation is a very important factor.
Hospitals are very selective about whom they allow to work there.
If our doctor does not have privileges at a hospital, some other doctor will be assigned to our case. While we may not know why a doctor was denied privileges, the fact that he or she does not have them is clearly a negative. In contrast, affiliation with a large, prestigious hospital adds to a doctor s reputation. Combining these factors with other personal choices, like geographic location, give us a better shot at arriving at a decision we can live with. These two print sources have been our mainstays for years.