Tired of Waiting for Your Doctor? How PartnerMD Eliminates the Wait

Ever feel like healthcare is working against your schedule? From the moment you try to schedule an appointment, the clock starts ticking. You wait days or weeks to be seen. Then you wait in a crowded lobby, and again in the exam room, just to spend a few minutes with the doctor.

It’s frustrating, it’s inefficient, and it often feels like your time doesn’t matter.

At PartnerMD, we’ve built our concierge care model to change that. In this article, you’ll discover four ways we’ve eliminated long waits and replaced them with timely, personalized care that respects your schedule.

Here’s how we do it:

• You see your doctor without the wait.

• Our waiting rooms respect your time.

• Your exam room visit begins without delay.

• You have peace of mind with 24/7 physician access.

Let’s take a closer look at what each of these means for you.

1. See your doctor without the wait.

Getting in to see a doctor quickly is almost impossible at traditional practices. Even if you’re sick or have an urgent issue, you may wait days or even weeks for an available appointment. That delay can turn a small concern into something more serious.

Traditional primary care physicians typically manage more than 2,000 patients and see 20 or more each day. With so many patients on their schedule, availability is limited. This often results in long delays and short visits.

PartnerMD is different. Our doctors care for up to 450 patients and usually see 6 to 10 each day. This smaller patient panel allows them to offer same-day or next-day appointments when something comes up.

You get care when you actually need it. Not when someone else cancels.

2. Our waiting rooms respect your time.

Even after waiting days or weeks for an appointment, the delays often continue in the waiting room. A 2024 study found that 62.7% of Americans say the waiting room is the most time-consuming part of a doctor’s visit, with average waits ranging from 15 to 30 minutes. Add in noise, crowding, and a rushed front-desk process, and it's not a great way to start a medical visit.

At PartnerMD, your experience is different. We schedule appointments thoughtfully to ensure minimal or no waiting. Our offices are quiet, calm, and designed to help you feel at ease the moment you walk in the door.

“I am thoroughly satisfied with my PartnerMD experience every time I come," said Maurice, a patient at PartnerMD Short Pump. "The receptionist is always smiling and pleasant, little to no wait time for my appointment and my nurse was like a special ray of sunshine.”

3. Your exam room visit begins without delay.

Exam-room waiting often adds unnecessary stress to your visit. Research shows that patients typically wait an additional 12 to 15 minutes in the exam room after being called back, which can cut into the time available with the doctor and lower satisfaction levels.

These waits are often more frustrating than the time spent in the lobby. As The American Journal of Managed Care notes, patients report greater dissatisfaction when the delay occurs behind closed doors, even if the overall visit length is the same. In the exam room, patients expect to be seen soon, yet instead find themselves alone with little to do.

This mismatch between expectation and reality can heighten feelings of neglect and drive up anxiety, leaving patients frustrated before the physician even arrives.

At PartnerMD, that wait does not happen. Our smaller patient panels and thoughtful scheduling mean your physician is ready when you are. Your appointment time is dedicated to meaningful conversation and care, not waiting.

4. Peace of mind with 24/7 physician access.

Healthcare needs don’t follow business hours. That’s why PartnerMD members have 24/7 access to an on-call physician.

Whether it’s a fever at night or a concern over the weekend, you can call and get expert medical advice from someone who knows your health history, not a stranger in an urgent care clinic.

No urgent care lines. No wondering what to do next. Just answers, right when you need them.

What’s next? Your time deserves better care.

The cycle of waiting, from scheduling to the lobby to the exam room, leaves patients frustrated and overlooked. PartnerMD was built to solve this problem.

With same-day and next-day appointments, thoughtful scheduling that minimizes delays, and physicians who are ready when you are, we put your time at the center of care. Add 24/7 access to your doctor for after-hours concerns, and you have a model designed to respect you from start to finish.

Not sure if your current primary care is working for you? Take our Primary Care Check-up to find out. In just a few minutes, you will see how your experience compares and whether it may be time for something better.