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How to say thank you to doctor

pureevalpureeval Registered User new member
in Help / Advice Forum
So I've been seeing a doctor every week for about a year now for an ongoing health issue that has been fully cured now. It's been a long process and I am wondering if there's anything I should say on the last follow up visit or just leave it alone and never look back?

Posts

  • flowerhoneyflowerhoney Registered User regular
    You could give your doc a card on your last visit and say "Hey Doctor, I really grateful for all the great work you've done, you're wonderful" or get your doctor a little gift to express your gratitude, especially cool if you have a special talent! Although I'm sure just verbally expressing yourself will be enough =)

    One word of caution though, DON'T give food as a gift. Absolutely don't. Your doctor won't eat it and will throw it away no matter how much she/he trusts you. Its just a safety thing

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    Registered nurse and now Certified Register Nurse Anesthetist here. The idea of the card / letter is really good, because most health care professionals don't get any love at all.

    Food is uh, totally fine and I have no idea where @flowerhoney is getting that paranoid shit from.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • DeebaserDeebaser on my way to work in a suit and a tie Ahhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered User regular
    Nice papyrus card.

  • flowerhoneyflowerhoney Registered User regular
    My mom is a physician and all the doctors in her clinic throw away the food they get from patients, although that may be a rule made by the university. I don't think its paranoid personally =(

  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited February 2013
    Food is okay depending on where you are going. I've heard both "yes" and "flowers would be better". The best thing to do is to call the front desk and ask. Personally, if they said it was okay, I would address something heartfelt to the doctor and maybe a gift basket or something small and consumable for the staff.

    It's not like that's strictly necessary though, and no one will think twice if you do nothing and just say "thanks for all your help" before going your own way. It's probably nice to at least give a card, but really I doubt anyone expects it.

    ceres on
    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    flowerhoney wrote: »
    My mom is a physician and all the doctors in her clinic throw away the food they get from patients, although that may be a rule made by the university. I don't think its paranoid personally =(

    Look I don't know if you're at like "Murder University" or something. But that certainly doesn't apply to most physician practices.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • dispatch.odispatch.o Registered User regular
    edited February 2013
    Most physicians will eat nearly anything. Most hospital staff will try to eat nearly anything, edible or not. I don't know what it is about healthcare workers, but we will attempt to consume anything even remotely resembling food if it's left around the break room. This goes doubleplus for anything convenient like cookies or a box of mixed nutts.

    I suggest buying a cheese sample platter and some sort of variety box of crackers.

    dispatch.o on
  • minirhyderminirhyder BerlinRegistered User regular
    My mom brings goodies home all the time. Boxes of wine, gift baskets, cookies, chocolates.

    None of us have died yet, so I think food is fairly good to go.

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  • kaliyamakaliyama Left to find less-moderated fora Registered User regular
    MegaMan001 wrote: »
    flowerhoney wrote: »
    My mom is a physician and all the doctors in her clinic throw away the food they get from patients, although that may be a rule made by the university. I don't think its paranoid personally =(

    Look I don't know if you're at like "Murder University" or something. But that certainly doesn't apply to most physician practices.

    I don't think it's because Angela Lansbury is the dean, I assume there are gifting/ethics rules at work.

    fwKS7.png?1
  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    There is really, really no reason for you guys to keep being dicks about this.

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • dispatch.odispatch.o Registered User regular
    In thinking about it, I know that all of the units and outpatient areas in the hospitals I've worked at keep a board for posting thank you cards and stuff. A nice card with your picture would probably get put up there for many years to come. I don't know if anyone else ever reads them, but when I'm sitting around waiting for some paperwork or something to come through in PACU or some unit I happen to be in somewhere, I'll go check out the board.

  • TalkaTalka Registered User regular
    For what it's worth, I've always been more moved by a few grateful words than a token gift of flowers or food. The former feels sincere. The latter is nice too, of course, but it feels more... "transactional."

    Just write a card (or heck, an email) and say what you really feel. Everyone loves to be told they're appreciated.

  • InfidelInfidel Heretic Registered User regular
    I work in the health industry (in Canada) and I would suggest a card with some personalized writing is the most appropriate. Other gifts may or may not be fine depending on where you are, but I can't think of a place that doesn't have cards of thanks from patients. Hospitals, clinics, whatever, health care workers really appreciate being appreciated.

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  • Mad JazzMad Jazz gotta go fast AustinRegistered User regular
    Cards are great, just saying thank you is great. Food will be fine since you and the doc have a pretty well established and close relationship at this point (he won't throw it away, probably). Gifts with monetary value are pretty much a non starter, since pretty much everywhere has really strict guidelines as far as accepting that kind of stuff goes. Honestly, whatever you do, make sure you put some sort of personal statement with it, whether in person or in a card. That kind of thing is always really great to hear (coming from a former paramedic/ER tech and current med student).

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  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    Yeah, cards are nice. The doctors where I work like getting those. Flowers are good too. Food can be appropriate as well. However where I work they do have rules about accepting gifts with certain monitary values (food included). Sending a thank you for curing me card seams to be appropriate and very sweet. I love the idea.

  • bowenbowen Sup? Registered User regular
    Cards are fine.

    The reason a lot of doctors say no food is because the doctors tend to:

    A) not have enough time to eat it, and it goes bad
    B) tend to have staff that eat it first, trust me, if you work in the medical field and you're not a nurse or doctor, you tend to put on about 10-20 lbs because there's just so much shit people bring in
    C) tend to get sick from a lot of the catered/home made stuff because a lot of people are really terrible about hygiene for catered and home made stuff for some reason. Last thing you want is to get a case of watery shits right before you're needed in emergency surgery.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • CherryCherry Registered User regular
    I am a registered nurse and work in an ICU. We always appreciate a kind word or a card. If it's the specific doctor you really want to thank than give him or her a card with a short personal message from you. And if the staff in general were really good, then another one to all the other health care providers.

    For a gift, food is always loved. Chocolate especially. But personally I only partake in the stuff that was sealed/new. We usually don't consume stuff that was handmade. This is just for safety/health reasons. What's clean for you might not mean the same thing for me.

  • pureevalpureeval Registered User new member
    I will get a card and give it to the doctor but address the staff as well, as they have been helpful. I would prefer to give a card as a thank you gift because it's more of a permanent gift. Thanks everyone for your great advice.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Probably the nicest thing you can do for the doctor is write a letter to their boss telling them how much you appreciated their care and professionalism during your treatment.

    Also, eat right and exercise.

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