FAQ

 
  1. What is the purpose of this site?

  2. Who are you? Are you doctors?

  3. How much does this website cost me?

  4. Why isn't my doctor listed?

  5. How do I 'RateMDs'?

  6. Do I have to give you my name or email address? I don't want any trouble from my doctors or their staff.

  7. How do I file a complaint with my state medical board?

  8. How can I look up disciplinary actions on my state's medical board website?

  9. I've seen 'Want to login or Create an account?'. What's that all about?

  10. How do I change my username?

  11. How do the scores work?

  12. Who can rate?

  13. Some of my comments got deleted. My doctor really is a fat, ugly jerk. Why can't I say that? What comments are OK?

  14. How soon are my ratings posted?

  15. I'm a doctor and I have my patients rate me from our office computer; why did their ratings get deleted?

  16. What if I see an error with a doctor, like if their name is spelled wrong or even if they aren't a real doctor?

  17. What if I see a rating that I think should be reviewed again? I know you said you review all ratings, but what if you miss one that is not OK?

  18. I disagree with a rating. What can I do?

  19. What do doctors think of this site?

  20. I'm a doctor and do not think my ratings are fair. What can I do?

  21. I'm a doctor. How do I get my name removed from your site?

  22. How about I sue your website?

  23. What is your privacy policy?

  24. Do you have a banner I can use to link to your site?

  25. You guys didn't answer my question. How can I contact you?

  1. What is the purpose of this site?
    The purpose of the site is to be a resource for people who want to find a good doctor. Where else can you find out what others think of your doctor? When choosing a doctor, wouldn't you like some information first? It also gives you, the user, a place to voice your opinion. Your opinion will help others find a good doctor.

  2. Who are you? Are you doctors?
    No, we're not doctors; we're just average patients who happen to know how to make websites; we are not affiliated with any medical organizations so we don't have any conflicts of interest. Having visited several doctors in the past few years, we became frustrated with some of the treatment we received, and the lack of comparative information available for choosing a good doctor, so we created this website to help people who have had similar experiences. Our co-founders are:
    John Swapceinski - Founder of RateMyProfessors.com, co-founder of RateMyTeachers.com, and president of Ratingz.net. John has an M.S. in Computer Science.
    Joanne Wong - Joanne is our "expert patient" and has an M.S. in Software Engineering.
    RateMDs Inc is incorporated in the state of California.

  3. How much does this website cost me?
    Nothing! The site is free to use. You will notice Google ads on most pages; we feel ad-supported information is generally preferable to having to pay for information.

  4. Why isn't my doctor listed?
    Only because no one has added him/her yet. We rely on our visitors to add their own doctors; here is where you can add a doctor.

  5. How do I 'RateMDs'?
    We've tried to make this site as easy to use as possible. Start here, select your state from the drop-down list and then find your doctor by last name. If your doctor is not listed, you can add them and rate them. If your doctor is already listed, just click their last name in order to see their ratings and rate them (look for the "Rate this doctor" button).

  6. Do I have to give you my name or email address? I don't want any trouble from my doctors or their staff.
    In most cases, you are NOT required to create an account, log in, or enter your name or email address. However, we have recently started requiring people to login when rating a doctor who has more than 25 ratings, or if we notice any unusual rating activity for a particular doctor.

  7. How do I file a complaint with my state medical board?
    We've been getting this question a lot lately, so we've added a new page that discusses the process of filing a complaint.

  8. How can I look up disciplinary actions on my state's medical board website?
    We've set up a new page that simplifies your search by standardizing on a simple form. Also, most US doctor rating pages have a button called "State medical board record" that, when clicked, will do a search for the doctor's state medical board record.

  9. I've seen 'Want to login or Create an account?'. What's that all about?
    No one is required to create an account to use the site, but creating an account will allow you to track and edit your ratings, and save your favorite doctors to a list. We get quite a few emails from people who made a mistake in rating their doctor and want us to change them. We do not change ratings, so logging in his gives the user a way to make sure their ratings are correct. We have a lot of changes planned, and some of them will be for members only, so if you want to use this site to its fullest, be sure to create an account.

  10. How do I change my username?
    Email us and we can change it for you. (We no longer allow users to change their own username as some people were changing it frequently and causing confusion for others on the forum.)

  11. How do the scores work?
    All categories are based on a 5 point rating system, with 5 being the best. The Overall Quality rating is the average of a doctor's Helpfulness and Knowledge ratings, and is what determines the type of "smiley face" that the doctor receives. A doctor's Punctual rating is NOT used when computing the Overall Quality rating. Please look here for more information on the rating categories.

  12. Who can rate?
    Please only rate doctors for whom you have first-hand knowledge. However, it is not possible for us to verify which raters had which doctors, so always take the ratings with a grain of salt. Remember, we have no way of knowing who is doing the rating - the doctor, other doctors, patients, dogs, cats, etc.

  13. Some of my comments got deleted. My doctor really is a fat, ugly jerk. Why can't I say that? What comments are OK?
    Comments should be about professional ability and/or customer service related issues. New ratings are reviewed, and we reserve the right to delete comments or an entire rating.

  14. How soon are my ratings posted?
    Immediately! However, sometimes our webpages are cached for up to 2 minutes, so you may need to wait a minute or two to see your rating show up.

  15. I'm a doctor and I have my patients rate me from our office computer; why did their ratings get deleted?
    Our systems are set up to delete multiple entries coming from the same computer, unless the raters are signed in under DIFFERENT accounts. So, for multiple patients to rate from the same computer, each must create an account and login before rating. We're trying to come up with a better solution but that's what we have for now. Probably a better solution is just to ask your patients to rate you from their own home computers.

  16. What if I see an error with a doctor, like if their name is spelled wrong or even if they aren't real doctors?
    On the doctor's ratings page, you will see 'Correct above doc info' near the top of the page. Just click on that link and tell us what is wrong.

  17. What if I see a rating that I think should be reviewed again? I know you said you review all ratings, but what if you miss one that is not OK?
    You are right - every now and then an inappropriate rating gets by us the first time. You will see a red flag associated with each rating. When you click on that flag, the rating is sent back to us to review again. If it should not have been accepted, we will remove it. If the rating is OK, we just approve it again. If the rating is flagged, and then re-approved, the flag disappears for that rating.

  18. I disagree with a rating. What can I do?
    There are 2 things you can do. If you'd like to respond to the rating, you can create a free account on the site, then click the "Registered users can respond to this rating" link just below the rating and write a reply.
    If you think the rating is incorrect and should be removed, click the red flag icon next to the rating and tell us why it should be removed.

  19. What do doctors think of this site?
    Well, that depends on the doctor!! We get a lot of emails from doctors telling us they like the site, and we've even had some telling us how the site has helped them. We also get some pretty hateful emails telling us how inappropriate the site is, how they are going to shut us down, etc.

  20. I'm a doctor and do not think my ratings are fair. What can I do?
    First, as noted above, you can reply to any or all of your ratings. Secondly, you can encourage your existing patients to rate you on the site. Thirdly, you can click the red flag next to the rating to have it re-reviewed.

  21. I'm a doctor. How do I get my name removed from your site?
    The short answer is, you don't. The longer answer is that this site is for patients to express their opinion about you, which they do whether or not you are listed on this site. Think of this site as an opportunity to hear what your patients think about you.

  22. How about I sue your website?
    Before you do, consider this information we received from the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
    It sounds as though you're familiar with 47 USC Section 230, the federal law that permits many entities to "host" other people's content without being liable for defamation/libel etc. "By its plain language, § 230 creates a federal immunity to any cause of action that would make service providers liable for information originating with a third-party user of the service." Zeran v. AOL, 129 F.3d 327, 330 (4th Cir. 1997).

    You ask -- does this change when we delete inappropriate comments?
    NO. You are still protected as long as you do so in good faith. Under 230(c)(2)(A),
    ``(2) Civil liability.--No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be held liable on account of-- ``(A) any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected;

    Further: The Supreme Court of the United States has held that anonymity of speech is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution (see McIntyre v. Ohio, 514 U.S. at 337; Talley v. State of California, 362 U.S. 60), also see: http://www.epic.org/free_speech/default.html#anonymity. United States courts have consistently recognized that the right to speak anonymously extends to speech on the Internet.

    Finally, you should probably check out this link before trying to sue:
    Anti-SLAPP Law and more anti-SLAPP law.

  23. What is your privacy policy?
    You can view our Privacy Policy here, but the main thing is: we will not give out identifying information on a user without a court order, unless there is a threat of physical violence in the comment.

  24. Do you have a banner I can use to link to your site?
    Sure do

  25. You guys didn't answer my question. How can I contact you?
    Email us here. We read every email but only respond to those not covered in this FAQ, due to the high volume. (No, we don't respond to threats!)

»

I posted a postive comment

Submitted by Lacygirl038 on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 03:17.

I posted a postive comment about my doctor a year or more ago and since that time, he misdiagnozed me and treated me poorly, I ended up having to change docs and had to have surgery and had 40 to 60 gallstones removed and they were causing me blockages in my abdomdon and I had swelling from my feet to almost my lungs. I finally had surgery this Jan.30/08 and no more swelling and had 40 to 60 gallstones removed and gallbladder removed and hernia repaired ,and THe old doc never even did an ultra sound after my complaining for 2 years of sharp abdominal pain. THen when I told my doc about the swelling he said fat people have the tendancy to swell more than skinny people . WELL, thanks to me laying in bed for 2 years I gained the 35 lbs back that I lost the year before. That was the last day I saw DR REBOLKEN . SO I would like to remove that positive comment that I made about him. I will be nice and not write this above comment about him on here but what I will do is tell his receptionist and tell her to tell him in person . SO that way he will get to know it and learn by it without embarrassing him in this way . Since in most other ways he has been good to me . So how can I remove that positive post I put up about him?OR can't I ? please let me know .thanks Elsie Friesen

»
mszbdog1's picture

How do I save my doctors I

Submitted by mszbdog1 on Tue, 08/26/2008 - 11:29.

How do I save my doctors I don't see a way to do this.
Thank you

»
jlfintx1960's picture

I am trying to add a rating

Submitted by jlfintx1960 on Sat, 11/08/2008 - 15:12.

I am trying to add a rating for my doctor, Craig Neleson, in Frisco, Texas, who is a pain management and sports rehabilitation doctor. He has been great and has taken care of my chronic pain needs.

How do I add him to the list of doctors?

http://www.precisionpaincare.net/default.asp

His website is above. He did not require a referral and got me right in. He has just started a new office in Frisco and worked with me since I had financial issues. He prescribed for my chronic pain until we found the right medication.

»
RateMDsJohn's picture

mszbdog1 wrote: How do I

Submitted by RateMDsJohn on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 16:57.

mszbdog1 wrote:

How do I save my doctors I don't see a way to do this.
Thank you

Hi, you can save your favorite docs to your own list by logging in, then clicking the "SAVE" icon near the top of the doc's ratings page. Thanks

»
RateMDsJohn's picture

jlfintx1960 wrote: I am

Submitted by RateMDsJohn on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 16:58.

jlfintx1960 wrote:

I am trying to add a rating for my doctor, Craig Neleson, in Frisco, Texas, who is a pain management and sports rehabilitation doctor. He has been great and has taken care of my chronic pain needs.

How do I add him to the list of doctors?

http://www.precisionpaincare.net/default.asp

His website is above. He did not require a referral and got me right in. He has just started a new office in Frisco and worked with me since I had financial issues. He prescribed for my chronic pain until we found the right medication.

You can add a new doctor here:

http://www.ratemds.com/social/?q=node/28881&url=/StartAddDoctor.jsp?country=0

»
BettyP's picture

I would like to remove/edit

Submitted by BettyP on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 20:23.

I would like to remove/edit an older rating? Is this possible?

»
RateMDsJohn's picture

BettyP wrote: I would like

Submitted by RateMDsJohn on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 10:34.

BettyP wrote:

I would like to remove/edit an older rating? Is this possible?

If you were logged-in when you left the rating, you can delete it or edit it by clicking the "My Doctors" link on the left side.
If you were not logged in when you left the rating, email us from the computer you used to leave the rating and we will attempt to match it to you.

As for forum posts, you can delete these yourself or edit them to remove what you typed.

John

»
mmcoperator's picture

I have left a rating for a

Submitted by mmcoperator on Wed, 10/28/2009 - 19:31.

I have left a rating for a chiropractor numerous times and its not a good rating but its the truth and this chiropractor has my rating reviewed and deleted all the time. Seems like we play this cat and mouse game. Why can't my negative rating stay posted?

»
RateMDsJohn's picture

mmcoperator wrote: I have

Submitted by RateMDsJohn on Sun, 11/01/2009 - 23:13.

mmcoperator wrote:

I have left a rating for a chiropractor numerous times and its not a good rating but its the truth and this chiropractor has my rating reviewed and deleted all the time. Seems like we play this cat and mouse game. Why can't my negative rating stay posted?

Make sure you give some details as to why you rated as you did. If you say only; "this is the worst doctor in the world", we will delete it.

John

»
informationispower's picture

RateMDsJohn wrote: BettyP

Submitted by informationispower on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 22:39.

RateMDsJohn wrote:
BettyP wrote:

I would like to remove/edit an older rating? Is this possible?

If you were logged-in when you left the rating, you can delete it or edit it by clicking the "My Doctors" link on the left side.
If you were not logged in when you left the rating, email us from the computer you used to leave the rating and we will attempt to match it to you.

As for forum posts, you can delete these yourself or edit them to remove what you typed.

John

Dear John

Is it possible for the author to delete a forum topic in its entirety (inclusive of all postings by other members)?

And if so, does this ability exist indefinitely or is it limited by time?

»

I would like to remove a

Submitted by anu_1234 on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 15:18.

I would like to remove a rating I gave. Is this possible? I wrote so many mails to you but didn't get any reply. Please guide me.

»

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.