I have a doctor’s appointment, not an assistant’s appointment.

Today I wrote a letter to my neurologist. For posterity's sake, I thought I'd include it here. I'm hoping he responds the way I'd like him to.

February 16, 2008

Dear Dr. _________,

On March ____ I have an ___ appointment with you. Each time I go to your office, I request to meet with you and only you, even if it means waiting a longer time to be seen. My request is granted less than half the time. To my frustration, my request seems not to be taken seriously, as more often than not I find a nurse practitioner at the door to greet me. I realize that your staff is incredibly knowledgeable and often very helpful, but I am not paying to see them. I am paying to see you.

You may recall that I’ve been paying out of pocket for my medical expenses for a couple of years now; the drive from _______ plus the expensive visit is only worth it to me if I am to meet with just you.

For my upcoming visit, I request that this be the case. If it turns out I meet with a nurse practitioner or other doctor for most of the visit and just see you for the remaining few minutes, I will probably start looking for a neurologist closer to my home.

Thanks so much for your time and continued support.

Sincerely,

____________