Young women describe the ideal physician

For some, the search for the ideal care provider can be elusive. This study explored female adolescents' accounts of the ideal health care provider. One hundred fifty-seven female high school students responded to the following question: "Can you describe what the ideal doctor would be like?" Content analysis of their descriptive narratives yielded 272 references to communication competence versus 30 references to medical competence (10 references were unrelated to either communication or medical competence). Based on their responses, it is clear that while young women appreciate the importance of medical skill, it is the communicatively competent care provider that they most seek.