Today I give thanks for everyone in the medical profession. Doctors, dentists, and nurses are people that I don't want to have to visit, but I am so grateful that they are available when I need them! We've only been in France for 2 1/2 months, and so far everyone in our family has had to visit a doctor. My first experience was only a few days after we moved. I got stung by a bee right before leaving the U.S., and unfortunately it got inflamed and infected. I've already blogged about that, but just to summarize again - my experience with the French medical system was overwhelmingly positive. I didn't have to wait long at all to see a doctor, despite (or maybe because of) being new to the country, and the fees were very reasonable.
Last week, Greg and the girls all suffered with upper respiratory illnesses. First Lindsey got it, then Greg, and now Lori has a sore throat and cough. Somehow I escaped (so far). Fortunately, we were able to find a great doctor just a few blocks from our apartment. Dr. "T" was born in New York but has lived and worked in France most of his adult life. He speaks English (a huge bonus) and he is very kind and compassionate. But the thing that blows me away about his office is how simple it is. There's no reception desk, no paperwork to fill out, no nurses. Just Dr. T, and an invisible receptionist somewhere in the building that takes phone calls to set up the appointments. When you walk in, there's a tiny waiting room with 4 or 5 chairs. We've only had to wait 10 or 15 minutes max, even for a same day sick visit. The doctor greets the patients himself, he interviews them at his office desk, and he even does the vital signs (again - there aren't any nurses around to do the routine work). After the exam, he writes up the prescriptions and takes your money. We're not enrolled in the French public system yet, so we pay out of pocket in cash: 35 euros for a sick visit.
Whether this type of doctor's office is typical in France, I'm not entirely sure, but the doctor who took care of my bee sting had a similar setup. In any case, it reminds me of the "olden days" of American medicine that my Dad describes. Days before corporatized medicine, giant insurance conglomerates, and malpractice lawsuits. I'm not going to editorialize or get political -- that's not what this blog is about -- but it's just very interesting to observe the comparisons.
What this blog is about is giving thanks. So, thank you Dr. T, for taking good care of my family this week!
merveilleux pour les médecins français
ReplyDelete