For some of us, locating the right physician can be compared to finding a needle in a haystack, particularly if you have to select someone by culling through a list of names in an insurance guide. If this has been your practice than you need to realize that you have no way of determining a doctor's credentials, background, or how he treats his patients.

"I would never choose a doctor blindly out of a book by thumbing through an insurance roster," warns Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, a Manhattan-based gynecologist who made our list. "Insurance companies only check to make sure that the doctor is licensed to practice medicine and that they are affiliated with a hospital. They don't go into a lot of detail and are basically looking for doctors who will accept their reduced fees."

So how do you find a top physician? We suggest you do what we did to come up with our list:

Get referrals.

We asked reputable institutions and organizations such as Meharry Medical College, Howard University, Moorehouse School of Medicine and Drew University to provide us with their most recognized alumni in the New York metropolitan area. Next, we requested leads from esteemed organizations such as the National Medical Association, the Association of Black Cardiologists, the Center for Disease Control, and the American Cancer Society. Finally, we asked each of the doctors that made our initial list to make some recommendations of their own.

Conduct research.

We also referred to publications that we respected such as New York magazine and TK to determine which African American doctors made their lists. This helped us to ensure that we got as many names as we could then we checked them out with experts in the field. For each of the recommendations we received, we called their office to request a c.v. as well as press materials that were developed for the candidate.

Surf the net.

In addition, we investigated whether the physicians were board certified and whether or not they had any unresolved issues as it related to their practice by running their names through the internet. Then we read any articles that ran about them and we called each of them directly to clarify anything that we didn't understand.

But your investigation shouldn't end here. We also recommend that you talk to nurses at the various hospitals in your area and ask them for referrals as well. They observe how doctors treat their patients on a daily basis. Further, we also suggest your talk to your friends and family to get a list of physicians that they're comfortable with because patients are an excellent resource. And if you have a serious condition, find the top hospital that specializes in your condition and ask them for a referral. Says Dr. B..., "If you go to a top hospital, anyone you get should be able to meet your needs or at least help you make the right connection."