We’re lucky to live in a big city with plenty of options when it comes to doctors – general practitioners, gynecologists, dentists, chiropractors, dermatologists, you name it! But with so many choices comes the great responsibility of finding the right fit. It’s easy to go to the closest doctor to your workplace or home, and while this is important, it is just as important to feel comfortable with the person you have chosen to help you manage your health & well-being.

So often we hear of friends, family members & coworkers who visit doctors that they seriously dread going to. We’ve followed the tips below ever since moving to LA, and we’re happy to say that we have yet to switch doctors! In fact, we usually leave the doctor smiling and laughing. Each doctor we’ve found has an incredible bedside manner. It takes a bit of time to find the right doctor for you, but we can attest that it is beyond worth it!

Visit Yelp to find highly reviewed doctors in your area.

• We suggest putting in the exact address of your workplace and/or home.

• Be specific in the search. For example, don’t just write ‘doctors,’ write out the specific type of doctor you are looking for – gynecologist, OBGYN, chiropractor, dermatologist, podiatrist, dentist, etc.

• Filter by 1, 3, or 5 miles depending on how far you’re willing to go.

• Sort by “highest rated.”

Find the list of providers covered by your insurance plan.

• Log in to your online insurance portal or request a list of providers in your network from your insurance company’s customer service.

• Don’t get too excited about finding the right doctor yet. It’s a waste of time to look at the reviews for doctors who aren’t even in your network.

• You’ll also want to make sure that the doctors you dive into further are accepting new patients. Most insurance companies have a filter like this on their search function!

See which doctors are both highest rated on Yelp and covered by your insurance.

• Warning: This can be the most time-consuming part if more than 10+ doctors show up in your Yelp searches.

• Go line-by-line on Yelp & search your insurance’s list or search function on their website portal to see if they show up.

• Make a list of the doctors who are covered by your insurance plan.

• Go with your gut – if you don’t get a good vibe from a doctor or if their office is in an area that you’re not willing to go to once (or more!), don’t even write their name down.

Read the reviews.

• Once you have a list of doctors who are both highly rated and are covered by your insurance, you can start diving into reading reviews and getting more specific in your search.

• Keep the number of reviews in mind – if a doctor only has 3 reviews but they are all five stars, do a bit more research! Google their name and see if they have more reviews on HealthGrades or a similar site like Vitals. Their clients might just not be Yelpers.

• Read the reviews. Yes, all of them – the good & the bad.

  • In our experience, the bad reviews usually have to do with the office staff pre-appointment and don’t have anything to do with the doctor. We always like to give them the benefit of the doubt.

  • If the reviews for the doctor are amazing, it’s not worth turning down a great doctor because of a bad staff member who has probably already been let go or quit.

• Search the reviews on Yelp for specific things you’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking for a foot doctor since you have an ingrown toenail, try searching the reviews for ‘ingrown’ or ‘toenail’ to see if people have had similar experiences and came out of it with smiles on their faces.

Determine your top three doctors and rank them.

• Start with your first choice & try to make an appointment. You might find out that they don’t actually take your insurance or they actually aren’t accepting new patients. If you find a pitfall, go down the list & try it again with the next doctor.

• Keep this list! If for some reason you’re not a fan of the doctor you chose, you’ll want to reference your list and try again without having to go through the hassle of repeating all of these steps over again.

Enjoy the fruit of your efforts!

• Going to the doctor shouldn’t be a dreadful experience. It may take time to find the right fit for you, but it will be well worth it!

If you live in the LA area, we’d be happy to recommend our doctors to save you the trouble! Just send us a DM on Instagram or send us an email at hello@theinspiredabode.com.

We can’t wait to hear the stories of how these tips helped you find your new favorite doctors! Please share your tips & suggestions in the comments. For more wellness tips, learn the 10 steps to a stress-free work week & check out our favorite beauty products we’re loving lately.