By leaving: find the new doctor first, request the records transfer ("please send my records to" - routine on both ends), refill critical medications before the gap, and book. No form, no required conversation.
Optional: a one-line portal thank-you closes cleanly, and fixable feedback is genuinely used. The hesitations: no blacklisting - patients moving is normal; no permission needed; returning later is allowed. One warning: with controlled-substance prescriptions the handoff matters - the new doctor will want the records first, so start early.
What to do
Common questions
How do I fire my doctor?
Simpler than it feels: you fire a doctor by leaving - there is no form, no required conversation, no breakup speech owed. The practical steps: find the new doctor first (continuity beats gap - especially with ongoing medications or conditions); request your records transferred - a call or portal message to the old office saying "please send my records to" the new practice, or ask the new office to pull them (routine on both ends); refill critical medications before the gap; and then simply book with the new one. Optional courtesies: a one-line portal message ("I am moving my care elsewhere - thank you for your care") closes things cleanly, and if the reason is fixable feedback, the practice genuinely uses it. The situations that make people hesitate: no - they will not blacklist you, doctors see patients move constantly and regard it as normal; no - you do not need their permission; and yes - you can go back later if the grass was not greener, though a brief explanation helps. One warning: with controlled-substance prescriptions, the handoff matters - the new doctor will want the records before prescribing, so start early. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you plan the switch.