Breaking out? Need to get your eyes checked? Have a toothache that won’t subside? When you need a doctor who can treat specific ailments, it’s important to find a reliable medical professional you can trust that also fits your exact needs. Similar to Yelp, students can find solace in a free website and app called ZocDoc, which takes the guesswork out of finding a local doctor in a convenient fashion.
For students who aren’t native to San Diego, they might find their regular doctors reside in their hometown, leaving them without many options should they seek healthcare. While San Diego State provides basic medical services through the Calpulli Center, many find their needs are more specialized. In this case, ZocDoc is the perfect solution.
Available for use on its website as well as on the iPhone, Android and Blackberry, ZocDoc allows users to input their information such as zip code in addition to their type of medical need to find who is practicing in their area. The list of available physicians includes dermatologists, dentists, acupuncturists, radiologists and everything in between. The doctor selection can be based on available health care plans, further simplifying the process. The patient can then read the doctor’s backgrounds, view photos and browse reviews and ratings from other users regarding their experiences. If they like what they see, there is a list of appointment times for each doctor app users can select from to fit around their own schedule; a luxury for the college student’s busy lifestyle.
CEO and founder Cyrus Massoumi recognizes the importance of having reliable specialists on hand for those seeking care and expertise.
“We look to bring on the types of doctors that our patients need the most,” Massoumi said. “We also independently qualify our doctors (by) verifying their educational background and board certification, among other things.”
With this kind of assurance, patients can rest easy knowing the doctors listed come highly recommended. The wait time is also amazingly short.
“Using ZocDoc, patients can avoid the frustration of being placed on hold and they can also bypass the national three week average wait time to see a doctor,” Massoumi added. “Forty percent of the appointments occur within 24 hours, while 60 percent occur within 72 hours.”
A new feature through ZocDoc is its new check-in option, which speeds up the appointment process even further by allowing the paperwork process to be done online prior to the in-office visit. Stacy Sendler, public relations associate for the company, describes this as “the no. 1 most requested feature to date from ZocDoc patients,” attributing its success to the convenience, accuracy and speed it provides for both patients and doctors alike.
Massoumi, who formed the company after a terrible experience of needing a doctor in a time of medical crisis, can certainly appreciate the need students have for this service.
“I felt the pain—both literally and figuratively—of trying to get fast access to care,” Massoumi said. “I knew that I wanted to find a way to use technology to change this experience for myself and for other patients.”
To put it simply, he said that ZocDoc “makes it effortless for people to have fast access to medical care.” With more than 1.8 million users, it is clear this statement rings true.
The last thing students with hectic schedules should worry about is where to find a good doctor. ZocDoc resolves this need by creating a revolution in how patients receive health care.
