To get the max from a minimal doctor visit, you have to screw up your nerve and ask, front and center, about the two or three things that worry you most, not the 20 other things you're vaguely concerned about. Don't blither on about your latest cold if it's your heart arrhythmia, your depression, your drinking, your spouse's abuse, or your sleep troubles that are the real problem.

If you are seeing a new doctor, or even a familiar one whom you haven't seen in a while, take a minute to remind the doctor of important things in your medical history or your life -- how long ago you had your heart attack, for instance, or whether you've just gotten divorced. If your medical history is complicated, bring your medical records with you to save the doctor tracking them down.

''Don't assume that your doctor knows your whole medical history," said Sherrie Kaplan, a social psychologist and associate dean for clinical policy and health services research at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. This is especially true if your medical clinic has a high turnover or you see multiple doctors for different conditions.

To help you and your doctor focus on the important things, write down your questions and bring a list of all the medications -- prescription, over-the-counter and herbal -- that you take, said Dr. Donald Berwick, president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, based in Cambridge. (You can also put all your medications in a bag and bring them with you.)