Not to put too fine a point on this issue, but Vets who are seeing a Midlevel should know that they do NOT have to accept care from a midlevel, or even a doc that they don't like. Going through the Patient Advocate is a perfectly fine way of getting assigned to a different provider. It doesn't have to even be a questino of dislike. If the person is clearly incompetent, the ask to be switched. The guy I see is the Chief of Staff. In Oncology, the Chief of Oncology ( a highly respected and heavily published Oncologist) is my doc. If I don't like what I am hearing from a consultant, I say something immediately.
One thing about this though.( not necessarily to the OP, but anyone in this position) Do it politely. Calm and quiet, talk to someone about the issue. Storming about, cursing and other acting out bullshit, gets you nowhere. Write a note to the Patient Advocate, that lays out the issues, and what you want (a switch to another provider). THIS WORKS.
an insight: NP's and PA's and even recently graduated Doctors, often think they can get a cushy job at the VA, with small patient loads, with little to no experience. The other place they go is Rural Health clinics. So it is not unreasonable, when you first met a new Provider, to ask, "What's your background, Where did you place in your graduating class? What specialty training did you attend? How long have you been practicing? Where else have you worked?" Someone tells me he or she just graduated, hasn't worked anywhere else, I'm going to want another provider. On the other hand, someone tells me, 1st in class, trained at Duke, Spent 3 years at Mayo, and I probalby am going to feel pretty comfotable. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO ASK! I mean, you'd ask a mechanic if he'd ever torn down and rebuilt a transmission before you let him touch your truck, right?
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