From a patient's point of view

The opportunity to view medical care from the other side of the consultation desk is always an eye-opener. I recently accompanied a family member to a couple of medical appointments, and the experiences were polar opposites.

The un-named dermatologist entered the room with nary a howdy-do or even a trite 'how 'bout all this snow?' He immediately began mumbling about diagnoses and treatment options in terms not meaningful to your average layperson even though he had no notion at the time that I was a doctor. The only reason we reached a clear care plan by visit's end was at my insistence.

At the other end of the spectrum, Dr. Andrew Nemechek, a surgical oncologist specializing in head and neck cancers was as warm and easy to talk to as the previous doctor was inscrutable. He outlined care options on paper with an easy-to-follow, step-wise flow sheet. We are lucky to have such a specialist here in Denver; I highly recommend his services to you, but I hope you'll never need them.