This is common practice, when the doctors are in the same med group. They do it to avoid potential conflicts of interest (and lawsuits!) should a patient later sue for malpractice. If you have one partner mis-diagnosing, and then another later "resolving" the mis-diagnosis, the partnership loses loads o' cash.

As a result, most medical/neuro practices will NOT allow you to switch doctors voluntarily within the practice.

To get my DH his preferred neurosurgeon, we had th change medical groups after an initial consult with a yahoo "neurosurgeon" who was not board qualified. the BQ sr. partners refused to take my husband's case when we did some research and found out the jr. partner was not yet board certified.

So my advice: listen to the office manager, and find another practice. Going to see them in person, or going up the ladder, won't change the result.

Good luck!

Sandi