Finding a Doctor by Credentials

Finding a doctor for the asthmatic patient is not difficult. Your local library will have a Directory of Medical Specialists, which lists doctors certified by professional boards with subspecialties in allergy/asthma. The directories list doctors by geographic location of the office, so you need only look at the doctors listed for your city and state. Directories of the various specialists' colleges and academies are another source of information. These listings as well as those of the Directory of Medical Specialists describe the training of each doctor, the name of the medical school attended, hospitals where additional training was obtained, number of years of additional training, and in which states medical licensure is held. In fact, by assuming the doctor to have graduated from medical school at age 27, it is possible to approximate the doctor's age.

Every doctor must be licensed to practice in the state where he or she works; it is advisable to be sure such a license is valid, particularly when the doctor is a recent arrival in your community. But remember, the license ensures only that the requisite basic medical education and training for licensure has been successfully completed. It tells nothing about specialty status.