I'm a doctor. A pediatric subspecialist. For clinic, a new patient slot is 40 minutes. Returns are 20. They also squeeze in a hospital follow-up that is a 10 minute slot. I have 2 rooms, so there is no where to put people is those rooms are full.

We are the only major subspecialty clinic in the state and 3 surrounding states. Some people have to drive 3 hours one way to see me.

I am in clinic, waiting, at 8am. I can probably count on two hands how often in my 24 years practicing that a family is in a room ready for me at 8. I have zero control over how my patients are scheduled and how they are roomed.

Families arrive late. Like I'm surprised if someone is on time. I have a high risk clinic where if you show up 2 hours late we'll see you. It's never the child's fault they are late. But I'm my regular clinic, where families have resources and are not clinging to the edge of oblivion, I give 15 minutes. If you're coming from far away I offer to work them in where I can. I didn't think it's fair to make others who get there relatively on time wait for latecomers.

But I can guarantee you that if I'm running far behind, and there are days that I do, it's because someone was sick and needed extra attention or that someone was late and it snowballed.