I have noticed things including color combos, some of which are weird. And I notice all the industrial plastic molding on the floor around the tile which looks so awful. I also notice how much privacy is afforded by the window treatments or how much light is let in for cheerfulness. I confess there are times I mess with the blinds to let in a little more.

Of course post-covid, I notice how far apart the seats are and some are labeled 'do not use' to keep people well spaced. And I notice which offices have what I call the double-wide seats for the super obese.

I think they put the chart of the body parts where the patient can see them as often the dr will refer to them to explain what the problem is or where the problem is. They have been helpful for me as I'm working through my back issues.

At the dentist's office, he has a large mobile of sail boats hanging which I like to watch, and if waiting too long, I'll actually blow on it to make them move.

In one orthopedists' office, the hallways had several pieces of art that looked like anatomical pencil sketches of various bones in the body which I thought was appropriate.

At the acupuncturist, the room had a wave noise machine in it and the walls had photos of beach scenes which was nice.

To be honest, the only "doctor" we go to is the Vet...HAHA! Even though I take her to the best vet office in town, it's just very sterile with little to no decor. It isn't unpleasant but there is no cute decor anywhere that I have seen.

Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene -- a big part of the reason "decor" items are disappearing from a lot of doctors offices, and why flooring, moulding, and even furniture is becoming "plasticized" and curved to prevent corners and grooves, is to allow it to be thoroughly cleaned more often. The less likely a doctor deals with infectious disease, the less likely they'll need things that are easily decontaminated.

Decades ago I went to a dentist who had a big street map of the local area painted on his ceiling. It gave you something to look at and think about when you were having your teeth worked on. My current dentist projects slides of his family holidays, and also nice nature pictures onto the ceiling. I also get headphones playing pleasant music. He and his wife are Asian and have relatives in Hong Kong who they visit and they travel to other places as well with their two cute little girls. I love seeing the pictures and thinking "I've been there! Those little girls are so cute!" etc.

Ooo I forgot! (And can't BELIEVE I forgot). When I went to get my mammogram, the carpet AND wallpaper of that whole department of the hospital was PINK! ALL DIFFERENT SHADES!!! Made me smile when smiling was the last thing on my mind.....

The womens health doctors I see are in a beautifully decorated, spa-like space. The rooms are all named, i.e. the waiting room is called The Tranquility Room. My other doctors and dentist have more traditionally decorated, bland space. More often than not, the wall art is crooked, which drives me crazy! ;)

Toronto Vet, hygiene may be part of it, but a nice tile floor with coved tile splash is probably even cleaner, but nowhere near as cheap as the vinyl stuff.

Most offices I fpgo to are pretty industrial looking. I care that it feels clean to me.

But, year's back when we started using a local dentist, the waiting area and exams rooms had nice carpeting, tiles, wall paper in a amethyst color.

Year's later it was redone to a more commercial look.

The previous decor was selected by the dentist’s wife. I guess they didn't want to go high end this time around.

My dentist just sold her office. She did her own remodeling & construction. She had 55" TV's hung at the foot of each dental chair with an underwater video of tropical fish playing. I used to LOVE that! The new owner keeps the TV's turned off.

Lynn, your husband's office does sound warm and welcoming. DH's waiting room had a huge salt water aquarium with stunning fish in a beautiful setting. Not sure what to call all the stuff and lights inside the tank - fish decor? There were 5 docs in the practice and all the exam rooms had diplomas above the desks and then a large nature scene on the other wall. The company who serviced the aquarium also tended to the plants in the waiting room to keep them healthy and would switch them out as necessary. It was also nice that it wasn't too sterile looking since the waiting room also had large nature prints and a few floor lamps rather than relying solely on overheads recessed lights.

My dentist had rather unusual pieces in his exam rooms. He hung his nephew's graphic artwork - oversize, poster size originals. Some were interesting abstract compositions but one room had a large framed doodle of black and white faces - some were bland and nondescript but there were a few rather sinister looking ones. When he retired he took them with him and his partner commented to me one day that he never cared for them and that a few patients had complained about the devil faces in the doodle.

Yesterday I was at my dentist's office, very new office they remodeled a couple/few years ago. I hadn't been in awhile so not sure exactly when they did it. It is now in grays and whites, which I like okay. They now have big screen tvs and the room I was in had a static picture of apples and apple pie, very homey and Fall-like. Made me want to go out and buy some fresh peaches (not apples) and bake a pie. I had plans to drive to Aldi's in the next town to try their peaches (to eat fresh) because a friend told me last week they had the best, juiciest peaches. So I got three and they are not juicy, not fully ripe and mushy in spots. I have two left and just not sure I should just bury them in the garden or even try to eat them.

My vet is in a brand new building that they built next to their old one. They have a nice animal picture in the lobby. I was looking at it quite a bit while waiting to pick up Chewie last week but now I can't even remember what type of cats and dogs were in it.

When I go to some doctor's offices I see those anatomy models or posters and I don't mind them, but have always been interested in that type of thing.

I do not remember seeing any pictures in the offices of the doctor I am now going to. My dentist has some sort of tropical poster on the wall that the hygienist uses.

I hope you did not need the services of the surgeon that you were sent to. In June when I told my doctor I was having problems with my shoulder he said he would refer me to a doctor for a cortisone shot that would help. When I looked up the doctor that I was referred to I too discovered he was a surgeon. Knowing that I suspected I needed surgery. While I need shoulder replacement I am looking for new doctors and a different surgery office.

I used to see a doctor whose name was Dr. Duck, and he had a wallpaper border with a row of ducks at the top of the walls. They were somewhat cartoonish looking ducks rather than realistic ones.

While I'm a person who's relatively observant about what I see in my surroundings (sometimes noting trivialities and things of no consequence, according to my wife) I can't say I ever pay much attention to "decor". It's not something of interest to me. After visiting someplace on a one-off or infrequent basis, I could describe "the reception counter is over here, chairs of this type are over there, you walk through the portal and turn (left or right), and such, but I pay no attention to much else.

amylou - Thanks for posting your recollections and impressions of "A Doctors Decor and ambiance..." I enjoyed reading it.

I recently got a new GP and a new gyno. (This is what happens when you get old and your doctors retire.) I didn't pay much attention to the decor, but what I noticed and liked a lot is that they both work out of small offices where there is just one other doctor. Before finding them, I tried going to doctors at one of those big medical offices where the waiting room feels like it's in a hospital and the doctors rush from exam room to exam room spending four minutes with each patient. Smaller feels so much more caring and personal.

Your post reminded me of a recent experience.

At our new dentists' office, I indicated no preference as to which movie they put on the big screen stationed in front of my chair, for my crown replacement, and they started "My Octopus Teacher" which I had no interest in, but figured "whatever". They gave me the headphones, too.

Well, I became completely mesmerized (as one would expect---I bet most of you have seen that fabulous movie). I felt like I was underwater, swimming with the little octupus, and I completely zoned out and into that watery world. When I stood up after the dental appointment, I will never forget how out-of-body I felt, like I had been somewhere else entirely, and I barely remembered my teeth being worked on. It was truly surreal!

MrsS, I love your story! And that movie, it's one of the best things DH and I have seen.

My dentist has some fun things on the ceiling panels (including a cool t-shirt stretched across one).. But I really remember the endodontist who hums while doing a root canal. He has a lovely voice, sings in his choir, but his humming is so relaxing.

maifleur03, I am still QUITE confused as to why I was sent to him at all. This all stemmed from me updating my medical history at my yearly Gyn visit. One of my sisters was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. She is young, only 39. I myself had something concerning on my baseline mammogram a few years ago, which lead to several ultrasounds and a biopsy by the same surgeon. All was benign. When I updated my medical history, my gynecologist insisted that I have genetic testing done, even though my sisters cancer tested negative for genetic markers. So I had that done. Then he told me he was starting me on yearly mammograms now, instead of at age 40. So I went and had that done. Mammogram was normal, and I was negative for the evil gene they were looking for. So when I got the call that the doc wanted to refer me back to the surgeon who had done my biopsy to see about "the next steps" I was confused. But I kept the appointment, because I am not a doctor and tend to do what I am told by doctors, who know more than I. When I was taken to the exam room, I asked the nurse if she could tell me why I was there. She told me it was to go over my genetic results. I got those already. They told me it was fine. The surgeon came in, told me that he saw NOTHING of concern on my mammogram or the tests, but that he wants me to go get yet another ultrasound, and if he sees something weird he will order an MRI. FOR WHAT!?!?!!??!?! He said all this is leading up to possibly a preventative mastectomy, because I had an aunt die in her 60s of breast cancer, and my sister is so young and she got it. I told him that was not going to happen, period. I am not going to do that unless I actually get cancer, which oddly enough I am not all that concerned about, given the battery of normal tests I have had. I will of course continue to do all the testing recommended, but what he was suggesting was extreme, IMO.

On the one hand, I am grateful to have thorough doctors, especially as women in particular and their concerns tend to get brushed off. That is why I do what I am told as far as appointments and tests. On the other hand, in darker moments, I cant help but feel like they are just trying to milk my insurance for all its worth. The genetic testing alone cost $6500. Between my regular gynecologist, the surgeon and the radiology, add another couple thousand in one month. And next week I will go to the ordered ultrasound. Very tedious but as I said, I do as I am told, because better safe than sorry. But sheesh. I hope where I am going for the ultrasound also has pink decor. I have never been to this facility before. I requested a specific one, which the surgeon agreed to, but they did not have an appointment until October, which I was fine with but the doctor apparently was not, and insisted I go to the one they set me up with. If I remember I will report on the decor and ambiance.

While BRCA gets all the press there are other genetic markers that herald a genetic predisposition to breast and ovarian cancers. You are being sensible to be careful.

My limited understanding is that, unfortunately, the breast cancers you get when you are young tend to be aggressive so being extra cautious is a good thing.

a word of caution Amy: "I am not going to do that unless I actually get cancer", with all due respect, how will you know without the deeper testing? By the time you figure it out, it will be much farther progressed. Internal stuff is hard to detect from the outside. Please, understand it's necessary.

I have heart disease like crazy on both sides of my family (aFib, SCD, atherosclerosis, congenital heart failure... I could go on!), so yes, I did a coronary calcium scan, that I paid for out of my pocket. Because, that's my history. I know not to mess with heart disease since it is so likely to affect me at some point.

My point? Not every single test is needed for every single person. But when you have those risk factors, don't hide from them. Hit it head on. Just something to consider.

Amy - you mentioned in your OP that you were confused as to why your gynecologist referred you to a surgeon. Then in your most recent post you said that you were STILL confused. Have you asked your Gyn why?

As patriciae mentioned there are other genetic markers associated with breast cancer and scientists are actively researching additional ones.

My DDIL went for genetic testing last year when her 39 year old sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mascectomy. This wasn't related to BRCA but it was another genetic mutation.. Fortunately my DDIL tested negative but when her daughters are older they will have the studies done as well.

“Ten percent of all breast cancers are known to be hereditary,” says David Euhus, director of breast surgery at Johns Hopkins. “But we also know from identical twin studies that up to 25 percent have some familial component.” That means an additional 15 percent of all breast cancers may be hereditary, but we don’t yet know the genetic mutations involved.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/beyond-brca-get-screened-for-these-additional-genetic-mutations

I'm glad you're going for the ultrasound and just in case there isn't any pink decor than wear a pink bracelet or socks!

Rob, I am doing all the testing that is suggested to me. I did say that.

Marie, no I didn't ask him. I'm just kinda going with what I am told o do right now.

You are wise to go for the ultrasound but unlike others who have mentioned that you need to ask your doctor about why I doubt you will receive a real answer only a because "something needed looked at". Followed by no explanation of what needed to be looked at. Over my lifetime of annual checkups and other medical issues so far in my 74 years I have only had two doctors that actually told me what was wrong and why. Sometimes I either needed additional tests or the problem might resolve by itself but at least I was provided the information. If it was "might resolve by itself" was given the option to wait or have it taken care of.

Good luck with the test and do not be surprised if it also includes your under arm lymph nodes.

Over my lifetime of annual checkups and other medical issues so far in my 74 years I have only had two doctors that actually told me what was wrong and why.

How is that possible? Informed consent demands more information. Mutual respect demands more information. I cannot fathom being treated like an animal at the vet by a physician. And if I am honest, everybody at the vet communicates with my animals.

I am 54, no spring chicken. From my pediatrician, onwards I have always learned about my health from my doctors.

Amylou, I hope everything checks out perfectly.