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This is usually a simple task. Open up your phone book (Yellow Pages) and look for one in your area; or ask your primary care physician for a referral to see a specialist. Better still, go online ' there is an abundance of free directories listing doctors.

How to find a doctor?

There's no magical route to finding the right doctor. If you have a primary care physician just call him or her and make an appointment. If you don't have a primary care physician, try the route suggested above. Or, if you feel you need specialist care, you can save time and money by going directly to a specialist with your particular medical problem. In the old days most patients would ask their primary care physician for a referral. While this is still done, more and more patients are going directly to a specialist for their medical needs.

Tips on how to look for a doctor

1. Find out the history of medical symptoms or diseases that run in your family, or ones you or your family members may currently have.

2. Once you have identified the problem, let's say a history of asthma, you may want to find a primary care provider who is (double) Board Certified in 'Pulmonary Disease' and 'Internal Medicine.'

3. Depending on how far you are willing to travel, and what type of doctor you are searching for, look for three hospitals near your home. Then go to Google and type in their names. Most hospitals have websites which feature a physician directory.

4. If you are looking for a specialist, such as a plastic surgeon, or a dermatologist, for example, use (example) your three favorite search engines and type: 'Florida Dermatologist,' or 'Florida Miami Dermatologist.' You may want to switch the wording around and try a few different methods.

5. Make sure your doctor is Board Certified, and that his or her respective field of specialization is listed, by consulting the American Board of Medical Specialists official directory of specialists, published by Marquis Who's Who. The ABMS directory is available at most public libraries, as well as hospital, university and medical libraries.

6. Next, visit the Federation of State Medical Boards (online) to see if any serious disciplinary action has been taken against the doctor you've chosen.

Where can I research my doctor?

Once you have selected a doctor, you have several options. Most patients like to run a background check on the doctor they have chosen. The best place to do this research is the Federation of State Medical Boards.

What makes a good doctor?

Based on my extensive research over the past five years, my recommended criteria for finding a good doctor are:

1. The number of years since the doctor received his/her MD or DO.

2. Whether the doctor is Board Certified or double Board Certified in his/her respective specialty field.

3. In the case of a surgeon, a high volume of surgical procedures he/she has completed

4. Doctors who have had one or no malpractice lawsuits, with no disciplinary action taken against them.

5. Doctors who are affiliated to at least one medical society related to their specialty.

Bottom line

We all know there are no guarantees when it comes to receiving the highest quality health care. We all know there are shady doctors, and good doctors; and then there are those who are renowned for their expertise, who rank amongst the highest in their field. It's up to you to do your homework.