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Craig, you do have an option. Find a different Doctor ~ not all Doctors office make you wait 4 hours (maybe just 1/2 hour, which is better). Years ago I use to go with my Mother to her Doctors appointments and we would have to wait 4 hours, it was awful. I told myself as a kid then that I would not do that when I got older. Guess what, I have never waited in a Doctors office for 4 hours, ever. There are plenty of choices (I recommend thru referrals such as friends or colleages) but no, you don't have to put up with that. At least in my opinion.

I would like to add a comment as an RN working in a very busy office setting. I do not agree with waiting hours for my appointment since I myself am always early for mine, however I feel I must comment when I hear people say they have to wait. I do agree to a certain extent with the poster above me however, being in a OB/GYN office you certainly understand that sometimes you may have to wait if your doctor is delivering a baby. I have had to wait to be seen before for this exact reason. If you were having a baby isn't that where you would want your doctor to be?
Secondly, as I said I am an RN in a busy outpatient office and I can tell you first hand that sometimes people do have to wait after their appointment times. Rest assured I am not reading the paper, drinking coffee with my feet propped up.
We see up to 40 patients daily and take the time to make sure each patient and all their needs are being addressed. THIS TAKES TIME. We will take that time with YOU when YOU are in the room for your appointment.
I would like to point out some challenges that we face daily with a majority of the patients we see then I would like to make a few suggestions which would expedite a visit (and your nurse will love you for).
Very few patients I see during the day know why they are here to see us. They don't know what medications they take or why they take them or their primary care doctors name, medical history, pharmacy number, etc. You can imagine this becomes very frustrating to us because we want to give the best care to them but without this information we must become a detective of sorts and this takes TIME. I must muster through the computer for any information that may give me a hint of why they are here. I must take the TIME to find their pharmacy number or try to figure out who their primary care doctor is and how to contact them to get information. I could go on and on but I will leave you with a few hints on how on to make YOUR visit faster.
Always have written down your primary care doctors name and phone number. Know why you are seeing us, write down or bring your medications, including the dosages and pharmacy numbers. Know why you take those medications and any medical history you have. Write down any questions you have and bring them with you to the visit.
As I said, I can become very fussy myself when I have to wait for a visit but then I look at the person next to me in the waiting area and wonder if they have all the information with them that I outlined above or if the nurse or doctor is having to take the TIME with them that extends MY wait time. Please realize that sometimes good healthcare takes TIME and that TIME will be given to you when it's your turn.

Craig,
I can't speak for every doctors office but I can speak to ours. We will explain and apologize to patients about their delay. We do that many times daily. It's called taking the HEAT and if you work at BJC you will know what that means. I agree with posting and communicating to patients about being prepared for their visit. I am actually working on a pamphlet for that. I will apologize to patients as much as it takes to show empathy for their wait. Next time you are talking to your friends or family perhaps you could pass along the advice of being prepared for their visit. Hopefully the person next to them will have done the same.

Craig,
Best of health to you.