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CJH
Citizen
Username: Christel
Post Number: 12
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 1:59 pm: | 
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I just took my daughter for her one year checkup, and rather than requesting our regular doctor (Dr. Alexander, who we really like) I thought I'd try meeting some of the others in the practice since I'd probably end up seeing one of them later this year when Dr. Alexander is on maternity leave.
I got the older female doctor, with the european accent. Who is that?
She rushed into the room and went "So, she's 18 months old?". I said, "No, she's ONE", thinking in my head "which is why we made an appointment for a one year checkup..." to which the doctor replied, "Oh, well, she's really very big, that must be why I thought that". It was downhill from there as she rushed through the exam, barked orders at me about baths and sleeping and formula, tried to refer me for tests my daughter's already had (going "Oh, I didn't even bother to look in there" when I said the info should be in the chart), ended with "Any questions? That's it, right?" and rushed back out of the room.
To top it off, I have no clue who that was because she also didn't bother to introduce herself to me, which also struck me as fairly rude and unprofessional. I was going to ask the staff on the way out but by then my daughter was hysterical from her shots so we hustled home. I thought about calling the office to ask, but at this point I'm so frustrated that I'd end up wrongly taking it out on whichever office staff answered the phone. I just need the name so I can make sure we never see her again on future visits, and she's distinctive enough that I think there's enough info here for someone to ID her for me. |
Zoesky1
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 1540
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 2:04 pm: |
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That's Dr. Sterio. She is actually my favorite doctor in that practice (to which we have been going for six years now), but she is not for everyone. She is quite blunt and can really rub some people the wrong way. In fact, the first time I met her, with a newborn baby about a week old, I had the same reaction. But I grew to really like her bluntness and matter-of-fact directness. As your child gets older, you might appreciate that more. That said, I have never known her to be rude. You're entirely right to wonder. |
aneighbor
Citizen
Username: Aneighbor
Post Number: 110
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 2:17 pm: |
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Definitly sounds like Dr. Sterio. I've had the same sort of experiences and now will specifically request to see another Doctor. Dr. Gruenmwald and some of the other Drs. in the practice are what keeps me going there. While I believe Dr. Sterio means well I also am not thrilled by her bedside manner nor exams. I would definitly let the staff know. |
CJH
Citizen
Username: Christel
Post Number: 13
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 2:22 pm: |
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Thanks, as she was going through the exam I recalled seeing comments here about one of the doctors in the practice being really blunt and how people seemed to either love her or hate her, and I figured I must have finally come across her. The whole thing felt so rushed, and it seemed as if half the comments ended in exclamation points ("Get her off the formula cold turkey!" "Don't pick her up in the middle of the night!") or were so generic ("This is when stranger anxiety begins") that I didn't find them particularly useful.
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Zoesky1
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 1542
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 2:25 pm: |
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Yup - you do either love her or hate her. I think also some of the reasons she comes across as exclamatory is because of her accent - I think she's Croatian or Romanian or something. She does mean well. But today it sounds like she was extra rushed, too.
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hismom
Citizen
Username: Hismom
Post Number: 446
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 2:39 pm: |
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Definitely Dr. Sterio. Drs Miller & Alexander are much younger (and gentler ). She was the first doc I saw in the office with my first child and she had me in tears believing I was a horrible mother/bad breastfeeding/starvng my kid as she was barking at me so.
Six years (almost 7 - time to plan a party) later, the office staff knows I will NEVER see her unless it is an extreme emergency like the time my daughter was deyhdrated and needed to be in the hospital. FWIW I like everyone else in the office (unless they have more than those 2 new ones.) |
CJH
Citizen
Username: Christel
Post Number: 15
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 2:48 pm: |
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I think Zoesky's right, the accent definitely didn't help with the whole "why is she barking orders at me" feeling. If that had been my first time in the office I probably would never have gone back; we usually see Dr. Alexander and actually look forward to going in because she is, as you said, much gentler and seems much more interested in what's going on with my daughter rather than running through the checklist of milestones and making me feel like I have to answer every question in five words or less. |
juju's petals
Citizen
Username: Jujus_petals
Post Number: 262
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 3:23 pm: |
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Yes, Sterio. And she is from the "uncircumcized world" for those of you who were wondering. Yup, that's exactly what she told me when I asked questions about circumcision while there with my daughter and pregnant with my son. "Well, I come from the uncircumcized world . . ." Quite an image, huh? Foreskin or no, she's thinks it is no biggie, so to speak.
In truth, I think she's a good doctor with limited bedside manner on occassion. Other times, however, it is perfect. The day after my son was born I was weird and postpartum and tried to worry/weep about breastfeeding my second child after I had done just fine with my first. She just said briskly, "I'm not worried at all about you. You are an experienced mommy. You are fine." She scribbled something on the cart -- quite possibly the word "FINE" -- and promptly left the room. What could I do? I decided to believe her.
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CJH
Citizen
Username: Christel
Post Number: 16
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 3:31 pm: |
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Ah, yes, of course, I should have recognized the accent as being from the uncircumcised world... my newborn nephew's recent circumcision resulted in him having more foreskin than expected, maybe I should ask her for a referral to the half-circumcised world... |
Joanne G
Citizen
Username: Joanne
Post Number: 169
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 4:08 pm: |
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FWIW, there's a doctor where I used to live in when I first met Nancy (LibraryLady) that I would never go to in a pink fit UNLESS it was an emergency.
Useless bedside manner, hopeless consultation technique for the small routine stuff. Makes me want to strangle him, he's so patronising and seemingly non-attentive.
But in a crisis: Can talk anyone out of suicidal behaviour even while they're holding the gun/knife/pills etc. Can calm the most manic/hysterical/distressed. Can diagnose the most obscure & deadly bite/fracture/disease on the run only to be confirmed by latest technology tests.
If House were in general practice and didn't waste time on practice/guess runs, he'd be Dr Engle in Thurgoona. |
phyllis
Citizen
Username: Phyllis
Post Number: 529
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 4:36 pm: |
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I, too, have grown to really appreciate Dr. Sterio. There have been times we could not figure out what was going on with my daughter, and she is so incredibly thorough and patient. Isn't afraid to not know everything, and will bring in other doc's for their opinions. I like that. Also, my daughter never complained when she had ear infections but would run a fever. Dr. G (who I like for other reasons) sometimes left me feeling like I was being neurotic by bringing her in just to check. When I came in all apologetic she looked me right in the face and said "You bring her in whenever you want for whatever you want - no apologies." Of course I don't need anyone's permission, but it was nice to hear. She is from somewhere in the former Yugoslavia and has a PhD in addition to an MD for whatever that's worth. |
Hamandeggs
Citizen
Username: Hamandeggs
Post Number: 306
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 5:14 pm: |
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Yes, I know it can run hot and cold with her. However, (and this is a biggie) she is considered with good reason to be an outstanding diagnostician. You hope you'll never need such a skill, but she is on top of current med literature and can really isolate symptoms that seem unrelated or a big mishmash...and direct you accordingly.
So you may not want her for a cough or cold, but for anythign greater, you may want to consider her. |
CJH
Citizen
Username: Christel
Post Number: 17
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 5:16 pm: |
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I can see how the experience with her could really vary depending on the age of the child. I think with an infant or young toddler you're still at that stage of looking for useful advice, reassurance that things are progressing nicely, and the occasional round of applause (She drinks from a sippy cup! She loves vegetables! Hooray!). I'm so spoiled by Dr. Alexander's super warm and supportive demeanor that the experience today left me a bit feeling like I had been punted down a pediatric assembly line, but I'm willing to try again in a few years (or when I need some tough love). |
Wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 2544
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 5:50 pm: |
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This was one of the best, most productive threads on MOL in a while. Helpful to the original poster, non-judgmental, informative and respectful of differing opinions. I think the best example was the OP's careful responses which one can tell was only given after reading the posts carefully. You should all go to soapbox or the Maplewood section and teach by example. |
CJH
Citizen
Username: Christel
Post Number: 18
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 6:18 pm: |
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Thank you Wendy, that's a very thoughtful comment, I appreciate it, and I found everyone's feedback extremely helpful. I was really frustrated this afternoon and would probably still be fuming if I hadn't gotten this fantastic combination of reassurance about my experience and extra information about Dr. Sterio. Knowing what strengths she brings to the practice is especially useful -- as Hamandeggs says, I hope I don't need to take advantage of her advanced diagnostic skills in the future, but I'm now much less hesitant to meet with her in that situation. And, in the mean time, hearing about what works and doesn't for others has helped me identify why she rubbed me the wrong way and what qualities are important to me right now for the day to day doctoring. |
Zoesky1
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 1544
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 7:29 pm: |
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CJH, I don't blame you for feeling upset. As I said, I really like Dr Sterio the best now (and we have seen every doctor in the practice numerous times over the past 6 years), but very first experience with her was when my daughter, now 6 1/2, was just a week old. She had been born at 37 weeks, practically premature, and only weighed 5 lbs 14 oz when she left the hospital, so they told me to bring her in at one week rather than two weeks for the first checkup. I was a first-time mommy and quite nervous....obviously anxious and still postpartum. Dr Sterio came in and rather quickly said we should get my daughter's hips checked for hip dysplasia. A one-week baby! She sent me over to St Barnabas' outpatient facility near the Liv Mall, where they yanked my daughter out onto an ultrasound machine for a hip scan. I was freaking out. This tiny baby was crying, she's upset, I'm upset...I'm thinking, "is this what parenting is going to be like?" and picturing my daughter in leg braces. But I found out later that Dr Sterio is indeed an excellent diagnostician who does not overreact. In fact, she tends to be extremely conservative, which is what I do like about her so much. If she tells you to be concerned about something, be concerned. If she tells you not to worry, don't worry. She is very confident and very self-assured. I trust her completely. As it turned out, my little daughter was just fine, and has never had so much as a tiny issue with hips since then.
When my second daughter (now 4 1/2) was just learning to walk, she seemed to have a bowlegged stance. I wasn't too concerned, but friends told me to get it checked out. I took her to Dr Sterio, who took one look and said, "No problem. Do not worry about this child." Sure enough, everything resolved and my daughter walks perfectly now. I just really trust her a lot. She may be brisk, but she's an excellent doctor. And as your kids get older, you won't mind the lack of warm fuzzies. Not only that, she does remember things. As a single mom, she never fails to ask me how the home situation is, how the stress level is, how I am managing, etc. I love that about her! |
wunderdog
Citizen
Username: Wunderdogny
Post Number: 102
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 9:28 am: |
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I found Dr. Commandatore to be only marginally more human on our first visit, a physical for my two year old. The thing that puzzles me is there was ONE person in the waiting room when we arrived and ONE when we left, so WHAT'S THE HURRY? And why would surly, crabby personality-challenged people choose to be pediatricians? They should stick with proctology and urology!?!?!?! |
cody
Citizen
Username: Cody
Post Number: 1013
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 10:23 am: |
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Dr. Commandatore is usually very easy to talk to and both of my kids loved her when they went to her (they've aged out of the practice).
I remember not liking Dr. Sterio at first, but once I got used to her style, I was fine with her. I've known other professionals from Eastern Europe, and their styles were similar to hers. I just assumed it was a cultural thing. If I felt she hadn't answered a question, I just asked it again. She was OK with that, too.
I guess anyone can have a rough day, and it would be nice if we could all put our personal concerns out of our minds when dealing with others, but it doesn't always happen that way. For the most part, the doctors in that practice were approachable and child and family friendly.
Now, getting an appointment for a non-acute condition, that was a different story! |
pag
Citizen
Username: Hueylove
Post Number: 34
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 2:30 pm: |
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I have read the posts about Dr. Sterio, however, I only had one visit with her. I brought my daughter in for her severe allergies last April. She was obviously having a hard time. I told her that if not treated she would develop bronchitius. She would not acknowledge my experience with my child and told me to bring her back in 10 days if still congested. She changed her medication regime for her. I put her on the new meds and that night she was off the wall (seems that the combo of meds was given her too much on the steroid side). Brought her back to NY to our old ped and sure enough my daughter had pneumonia.
I did not go back to the practice and have been using Dr. Boodish and feel that her needs have been more attended to. |
Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1916
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 5:20 pm: |
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Our 2 encounters with Dr. Sterio were so unpleasant + she mis-diagnosed and refused to give a us referal to a specialist.
Paid for the specialist out-of-pocket and never went back (to Sterio)
Been very happy with Dr. Cotler now for almost 7 years. |
red
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 5641
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 5:28 pm: |
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You just have to go with your gut. Everyone is going has his/her experience be it good or bad with doctors. If you aren't comfortable with the Doctor or practice, go to another one. |
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