Judge Judy

So, while this is mainly a place to document my experiences as a student, I think it would be appropriate to side-track a bit while still staying within the realm of health care. This is a bit of a rant. However, I think it is a completely justified one, and frankly a situation I need advice on...

Since I am starting graduate school in the fall at a new university, I was obviously given a whole bunch of health forms to get filled out by my PCP before I start. There are two crucial forms: the medical history/physical health form and the immunization record. I called my PCP last week and made an appointment for Tuesday; I said I needed to drop of health forms and receive a PPD (tuberculosis test). The receptionist scheduled me for Tuesday morning and said I could pop in Thursday morning to get the PPD read and get my health forms back.

A side note--I still go to my pediatrician. I am 21 years old, and I have been seeing the same doctor since birth. He agreed/offered to see me through college. I am a healthy kid, and I see a women's health practitioner for my lady parts, so it's not a huge deal. I have my final physical with him scheduled for the beginning of next month before I part ways and move to my new locale.

So, come Tuesday morning I get myself ready and head over to the doctor's office. I tell the receptionist who I am, give her the health forms, and say that I'm here for my PPD and my third installment of my HPV vaccine if that's okay. (They administered my first dose of the three-dose series last August and I got the second dose from my women's care practitioner in March--I relayed all this info to the receptionist.) She tells me to have a seat in the back, which I do.

When it's my turn, the woman (a nurse? medical assistant? I really have no idea...) calls me to an exam room. Before we even leave the waiting room, she says to me, "I can't give you the HPV vaccine. You're too old." This boggles me, but I kindly reply, "The vaccine is for young women ages 9-24." She replies, "I know that. But this is a pediatricians office. How old are you? Like, 21?" I stare back at her in bewilderment, explaining that they gave me my first dose less than a year ago...when I was the same age. She goes on to tell me that they should have never given me the first dose to begin with, and that they will receive a bill because I am over a certain age. She goes on and on about the weakness of the dollar and 'of course you understand...' Not sure what to make of it, I am of course agreeable, since it is taking me a little while to process. She gives me my PPD and tells me to come back in two days to have it read.

Meanwhile, as I'm driving home, I'm realizing the absurdity of it all. First of all, she blatantly passed judgement upon me for being "too old" to see a pediatrician. It made me very uncomfortable. Second of all, she denied me the completion of my vaccination series, when THEY were the ones who started me on the series. My mind plays it over and over in my head, and I increasingly see how out of line this woman was. Unfortunately, I am never quick enough on my feet, so I let her get away with it. From Tuesday until this morning, I planned to go back there and 'give this woman a piece of my mind,' which in my terms means going over their heads and talking to the doc about it.

Fast forward to this morning...I got up early to meet a dear friend for coffee around 7:30. We had a lovely visit, and the coffee shop was conveniently less than a mile from doc's office. Around 8:30 we part ways, and I went to the office to care of my business. I walked in, talked to the same receptionist, reminding her that I was here to pick up health forms and have a PPD read. I went around, where Ms. Judgement was sitting, and showed her my negative test site. I then kindly asked the procedure for having my medical charts forwarded. I told her I was moving and enrolling in my school's health plan, and that they wanted all of our charts. I told her about my physical next month, and if that's something I can take care of then. She asked me if I was switching doctors, and asked again how old I was. I said yes I was, and that I would soon be 22. She then made some side comment, saying '22' and chortling to herself. She told me that I would need to call them and give them enough notice to copy the forms, since they can't mail them anymore. I said, "you can't?" and she said, "yeah since 9/11, [and I expected some statement about privacy traveling through mail or something else intelligent] anything over 13 ounces has to be taken to the post office, and we just don't have the time for that." Seriously? First they can't give me a vaccination because they will get billed. And now they can't mail the medical records of someone who's been their patient for 22 years? I shrugged her off, and huffed out the door...not in a good mood. I got in the car and looked over the forms they had given back to me, to make sure that everything was filled out. Only the vaccination form was signed and filled out. The physical health form was completely blank with no signature. I waltzed back in there and shoved the forms in the receptionists face, who was on a private call. "This one isn't filled out." "Oh, that's because it doesn't need to be filled out by a clinician and there's no place to sign." I point and read out loud to her the sentence that says "Please have this portion filled out and signed by her clinician." She gives me some explanation, adding that the doctor won't be in for another hour and do I want to come back. "No, I don't want to, but I guess I'll have to." I stormed out, again.

So, I really am so livid about the whole situation. Part of me wants to call them, demand that they mail me the forms and my medical records, and cancel my last appointment. It's not exactly close, and they are complaining about the price of a stamp when they're making me go back and forth three times!
The other part of me wants to go in there, talk to the doctor, and explain how I am feeling. I am mainly upset at the woman who passed judgment upon me more than once! I see that she obviously finds it comical that I still see my pediatrician, but who is she to decide who should and shouldn't be seen in that office? She was out of line, and as I result I feel like I cannot return to my doctor without being uncomfortable. The doctor should know this. She cannot judge me, when the doctor is the one telling me to come back for another year until I graduate. And on top of that, who is she to decide that they cannot complete my vaccination series? You do not start someone and just deny them the completion of the series. That is NOT what health care is all about.

Ugh. I am so disgusted by this whole situation. What should I do? I just don't think I should keep quiet about this one...