- Thread starter jaguar86
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Doctor Appointment question
Most always it is done as first come, first seen. It is cultural thing. Also, because even if there were appointments there would be long wait times. So, why make an appointment if you are going to wait anyway. Find out when doctor hours are and get there early.
Note: In the USA you can make an appt and see the doc. Then, there is a separate day for tests, x-rays, procedures, ect. Simple medical things that can take a days, weeks, and months in the USA to complete. While in the DR things can be done with one doctor visit, labs, x-ray, treatments, possibly same day. It depends on medical issues.
Regards,
PJT
Many docs take appointments. In my experience these docs work on mixed schedule if the person with the appointment is not there, they take the first who arrived.
But in my experience, also, the better docs all take appointments, because it is the professional Dominicans and ex-pats who use their services.
But in my experience, also, the better docs all take appointments, because it is the professional Dominicans and ex-pats who use their services.
In a few words: Power Trip and Abuse of Patients. They have visiting hours from let's say 8 am to 1 pm but show up only at 9 or 10am if you are lucky and the patients are waiting for them like idots and NOBODY opens his mouth to complain !!! I once attacked a Dr for doing exactly this and everybody looked at me like i need to be send to a mental institute. Medics are like G-d's to Dominicans ! Use a white coat and you can do what ever you want to them.
My urologist and gastroenterologist don't take set appointments, but their assistant will say come at 900 instead of earlier. I will pencil you in. I rarely have to wait more than 45 minutes, and yes sometimes I can get most of the tests done same day but usually have to come back for the results next day and see the doctor again. Both are women, both are very good doctors, the urologist is trained in Barcelona and the states, speaks English, and has skinny fingers.
Many work like that. My guess is that it's due to the fact that punctuality is not a strong suit for Dominicans. They also don't think anything about just not showing w/o even a phone call. Having said that, I have worked with a couple docs that are by appointment only.
I hope you weren't there for a prostate exam that day!
Doctor appointment times mean nothing in the US and I'm sure in just about any other country too. I do agree that many Dominicans will not question their doctors regarding treatment. Just yesterday mi novia went to the doctor with a bad "gripe" and was given an injection and a prescription for some pills and a "jarabe." I asked what was in the injection and she didn't know. I've experienced the same with others, and when I ask them questions about what the doctor is doing, I usually am told "he/she is the doctor..."
My SIL has appointments Monday - Thursday, on Friday she has walk-in hours. Saturday she will also have walk-in hours until noon. Seems to work, as she has been doing this for a number of years.
In general, if you are going to the doctor here you might as well write off the entire day. There are doctors that are strictly by appointment only but even then it does not always work that way. However, the rest of the doctors are first come first served basis and it is extremely rare that a doctor arrives on time. More often that not you are waiting for hours until they even arrive. BUT, I always say this to myself and my friends, no matter how frustrating the system is, if you were back in your own country you would have to wait months to see a doctor and if you needed any test done such as x-ray, CT scan, MRI or whatever, you would then have to wait months to get those done whereas here you can get just about everything done immediately, many times even the same day as your doctors appointment so do we really have the right to complain about the system? I think not. It is frustrating having to sit around and wait, but I still believe we are better off than most first world countries taking into consideration the time needed to get tests done. If the doctors here could be more punctual then that would be so much better, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves here!
It was mostly just a saline solution maybe with vitamins added. It's a placebo effect for the Dominicans. Same if they're interned for just feeling sick. They automatically hook up an IV. I've looked a couple times - saline solution. Meanwhile, the family is all nodding their heads says "suero" and are confident the person will now get better.I hope you weren't there for a prostate exam that day!
Huh? Where are you from? In the USA, that was not my experience at all.
Here in the DR, the only thing that can take a lot of time from my experience are blood tests walk ins. Everything else I've had (CAT scan, MRI, doc appt, physical therapist appt) have all worked as scheduled. Even the blood tests are only a couple of hours in total. I have used Amadita twice and always recommend them.
All of the places I have gone for diagnostics have been run like clockwork. With my primary physician, I have never waited over an hour.
It's amazing to me how fast they do blood tests here compared to the US. If you do it in the morning you can pick up the results at 4pm and you don't have to go somewhere else like Quest Diagnostics in the US. I've had x-rays, sonograms, MRI's, and CAT scans done within less than n hour of the doc ordering them and picked up the results the following day.