Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus -Mental Health Outpatient Clinic

My Experience at The Mental Health Clinic at the Civic was a mix between terrible and terrific. I say terrible because I am highly uncomfortable with Dr. H. King, the supervising doctor overseeing my case because after being briefed by my actual doctor her first question to me was "how do you pay for school?" I mean if she was listening to the gist of my life she could have 1)made use of her common sense and knew I benefit from financial aids like OSAP 2) know that how I finance my post-secondary education has little to do with how I would access my medication. But, no, instead of common sense she used her senses to be condescending. She made that her first question to someone who was finding the simplest of human functions near impossible. Her most pressing question was how I pay for school, not something that addressed my deteriorating mental and psychical health. Guess common sense isn't something used by medical doctors. Maybe she was so stuck on the technicalities of her practice. Maybe shes just ignorant, shortsighted, condescending, tone deaf and lacks perspective on the diverse difficulties her "patients" might be facing in their day-to-day lives. And to think my first appointment was initially set with this disaster of a doctor. On top of being malpractice personified, Dr. H. Kings overall questioning of me would suggest that shes racist. Her first question suggest that she did not care for my mental health. Would she have done that if I were white? No, she would have come into the room and said "Hi, i'm Dr. King, I hear you are experiencing symptoms of depression, would you like to elaborate?" not "How do you pay for school?". What kind of question is that? And no, i'm not sensitive about being poor. I am upset because after waiting 6 weeks for the appointment I get Dr. H. King who's medical interviewing skills would suggest that shes at best grossly incompetent and at worst a blatant racist. And she wants to supervise? Talk about delusions of grandeur. I say TERRIFIC, because of my actual doctor, Dr. Greene and the medical staff at the clinic. Firstly, they called me to make an initial appointment after I had failed to do so. This simple act filled me with so much hope. Secondly, Dr. Greene is frankly THE BEST, better than all the other doctors i'd seen in the ER and better than his own supervisor. He went beyond his call of duty to ensure that my needs were being addressed. He was measured, detailed, observant and compassionate in his medical interviewing. When confronted by the silence of my own stubbornness he remained more than human. Even after I made the poor decision of making him the target of my frustration, even though I was upset with Dr. H. King and the ER department. He took my bad attitude with grace and reassured me that everyone's entitled to their bad days. He was best to me when I was at my worst. Even if I were to use all the words in the English lexicon I would still fail to express my thanks. So, in short I want to sincerely say just two words: THANK YOU. (And yes, I did edit my review four months after having written it, i'm just that petty)
7 years ago (09-02-2018)