Women: Get more out of your doctor's visit

For many people, visiting a doctor can be intimidating. There's the whole authority issue, plus the anxiety that comes with having to deal with a physical exam or possible bad news about a health condition. But according to CNN, women especially can be at risk for a less-than-helpful doctor's visit if they aren't careful.

Some helpful tips:

• Ask questions, or bring someone with you who will.
• Go ahead and research your condition, but don't become overwhelmed by it.
• Recognize gender bias when it happens, and choose a different physician.
• Just the facts, ma'am! Don't interpret your symptoms for you doc, just describe them factually.
• Always trust your intuition.

I've found that if I have specific issues I want to discuss, I must write them down. Otherwise, I nearly always forget to bring them up during the five to 10 minutes I'm actually with the doctor. How do you get the most out of your doctor's appointments?