Step 1: Decide What You Want and Need

WHAT QUALITIES ARE IMPORTANT?
Think about past practitioners you've liked and loathed, and what it was about them that worked for you or didn't. These qualities could include manner (brisk and efficient or warm and nurturing), willingness to work with other health specialists (alternative practitioners, for instance), and style (did they lay out all your options, or make decisions for you?). "It's like dating," says Kevin Soden, an emergency physician in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a coauthor of Special Treatment: How to Get the Same High-Quality Health Care Your Doctor Gets (Berkley, $15, www.amazon.com).

WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR DO YOU WANT?
Many women, particularly those with children, like the convenience and continuity of having a family doctor, who's trained in everything from pediatrics to geriatrics and is uniquely able to spot health issues affecting the whole family. "It's one-stop shopping," says Mary Frank, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and a family physician based in Rohnert Park, California.

General internists, on the other hand, are "disease detectives," trained to diagnose and treat illnesses. If you have a complex health situation or if your own children are grown, you may find it prudent — or simply refreshing — to see a doctor who focuses exclusively on adult medicine.

CONSIDER GENDER AND AGE
Next, ask yourself if you're more comfortable being cared for by a man or a woman, or if it honestly doesn't matter. Some women feel more at ease with female doctors, while for others personality is more important than gender.

Female doctors tend to be more attentive. According to a study published in 2003 in the Journal of Women's Health, women PCPs are more likely to perform preventive services (such as breast exams and health counseling), to schedule follow-up appointments, and to make referrals to specialists.

Think about a doctor's age, too. A mature doctor has years of wisdom and experience to draw upon. A younger doctor may be more interested in staying up to date on the latest medical advances. Some people like to choose a doctor around the same age as themselves. "Then you're going through the same life stages at the same time," says Frank.