Running Into Your Doctor Or Dentist

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Never happened to me before, but it would be one of those situations where I would be like "hey how's it going" and move on.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I have at least 8 doctors and have never seen any of them outside their offices.
Ds3 is a nurse at the hospital so sometimes he’ll see some of my dr. but only there.
When we lived in Texas one of the pediatricians in our group went to our church so we were in a friend circle there.

 

[rigs32]

I got invisilign as an adult from a dentist not too much older than me. It's been a decade and we see him once a year at a beer festival. We always chat a bit and, typically, he and my other half walk away from me chatting. The last time we saw him, he'd grown a beard and I didn't recognize him until he spoke. We find it amusing.

 

[_19disnA]

Has never happened, but I would say hello. I don't see a reason to totally ignore them, that seems rude. What I would NOT do is ask for any medical advice outside of their office setting, that would be inappropriate. People at the dentist wear those face masks, so not sure I would even recognize them in public.

 

[Travel60]

Like seeing any other acquaintance -- say hi and move on. My kids and I ran into pediatrician and his daughter at MickyDs once. I joked that it was good to know we all give in occasionally. Stood in a movie line with my PCP and son, said hello, asked what movie they were there to see, and moved on. No biggie. Same PCP lived on the street behind me and I would occasionally see him running at 5:00 am. Wave, head nod and keep going.

 

[Allison]

I would treat them like any other acquaintance. Say hi and keep going. I'm curious if you think they should be treated differently for some reason?

 

[Jcricket Fan]

My situation is a bit different as I am a psychotherapist and let my clients know in our 1st. session that if I see them out anywhere I will not make contact first ~ to protect their privacy.

If they choose to speak to me I will gladly respond and if they choose not to speak to me ~ I will take no offense!

It takes the pressure off the client that they never need to wonder that they might need to explain me to anyone they may be with ~ it is always my clients choice to make contact or not.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I was a preschool and school age teacher and director. I ran into parents a few times.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We were in a restaurant recently when our dentist came over to our table to chat and figure out what was good there, as he was ordering take out and had never been there before. He chatted for a while and gave me a hug as he was leaving. Love that guy!

 

[mommasita]

For Me…..it totally depends on the relationship I have with the doctor or dentists. None of my doctors or dentists would realize who I am outside of their office, so I would say nothing. My podiatrist is a doctor I’m seeing more and more often, so this may change, and if I saw him out with his family, and we were in close proximity to each other, I’d definitely say “Hi”, but I wouldn’t monopolize his time. If he kept the conversation going then that’s ok, but if not, that’s ok too

I thought mine would not so… I was on the metro and saw my neurologist, and avoided him, 3 months later he asked me what he did to me to deserve that.
Lol
I was so shocked, I said I’m sorry, I didn’t think I’d see you on a metro, and definitely did not want to small talk you.

 

[ajlsjl]

I ran in to my doctor many years ago at a Walmart. She was with her two young kids. Just said a real quick hello, she introduced me to her kids, and that was that.