“When Do I Get to Go to My Doctor?” A Guide to Prioritizing Your Health as a Resident
It can be hard to find time to make appointments while in residency, but it is possible and quite important! You should be able to find time to have your own appointments, whether it is for your medical health, your mental health, or your dental health.
If you have Montefiore health insurance, you can sign up for the Care Guidance Program. Among many other things, you can work with someone who will help you choose providers for your needs and schedule appointments for you. You can find out more information at www.mymontebenefits.com (under the Care Guidance tab) or by calling 1-855-MMC-WELL (1-855-662-9355) or by emailing mmccareguidance@montefiore.org.
“Who Do I Go See?” A Resident Curated List of Healthcare Providers
Dental care: The Montefiore Department of Dentistry accepts Cigna, but be aware that each level of the plan provides different levels of coverage. For the preventative plan, there will be more out-of-pocket expenses should you require additional treatment (fillings, root canals, extractions, etc.). For the extensive plan, a larger portion of those procedures will be covered.
General Dentistry or Hygiene – 718-920-2063 (you can also email CentennialDentalAppts@montefiore.org for appointments for yourself or jarrett_ped_dental_clinic@montefiore.org for pediatric appointments!)
For Oral Surgery – 718-920-2043
For urgent/emergent care: Please get the care that you need! Please let program leadership know so we can check in on you and see if you need help arranging care. Program leadership will reach out to the appropriate supervisor on your rotation to let them know that you will be out.
If you have recurring appointments (Serious Chronic Conditions/Mental Health/Pregnancy/Fertility)
First talk to your provider about how often you should be seen and the best method to be seen. Some providers will do phone visits or video visits.
If you are struggling to make these types of appointments, we ask that you let program leadership know. All your information will remain confidential, and we do not tell anyone what kind of appointments our residents have. Letting program leadership know will allow us to make sure you are able to attend all your appointments.
For episodic routine care:
If your schedule has been published already, try to pick a time when you are not scheduled for continuity clinic. If you are on ED, you can also pick days that you are working 5-12PM.
If your schedule has not been published, go ahead and schedule your appointment. Then let the chiefs know so they won’t schedule you for continuity clinic at that time.
If you have an appointment when you are on elective, please let the person in charge of the elective know when you will be an out for an appointment. If they give you any pushback, please direct them to reach out to program leadership (PDs/Chiefs).
If a routine appointment needs to be scheduled when you are on an inpatient rotation or have continuity clinic scheduled, go ahead and schedule the appointment. Then contact the chiefs to talk about if coverage is needed while you are at your appointment. They will help you figure out the best way to get coverage if it is needed.
For any telehealth appointments: We can book rooms for you if you need private space for a telehealth appointment. Please let Chiefs know so we can find you a space and book it under our names. This can be for episodic or recurring care.