I had the opportunity (ha!) to try out an impromptu doctor’s visit while in Canada after experiencing some mild but persistent symptoms during our stay there. Once I decided to make the appointment, I researched some options for me, a non-Canadian resident, to easily get a doctor appointment.
I decided on a private clinic in a town about 25 minutes from the rural lake-house where we were staying. (The public clinics only make appointments with patients who have Quebec Health Insurance. Anyone, regardless of status can be seen at the ER or at private clinics, possibly for a non-resident price.)
Making an appointment
When I called to make the appointment, the receptionist of course answered the phone with “Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider?” but switched to flawless English immediately when she knew I didn’t speak French well (yet … I’m working on it!)
She had an appointment available for me the next afternoon and she took some information to get that set up on their calendar.
Seeing the Doctor
When we arrived for my appointment, I checked in at the front desk, and before long a doctor poked her head out of an office and called my name. She greeted me in French and I replied, then said that I don’t speak French well and asked if English was okay? The doctor hesitated a bit, but agreed.
I was surprised by her lack of confidence with English after the complete fluency we’ve encountered elsewhere in Quebec. We we stumbled along at first while she asked a number of questions about my symptoms and then during the exam. There were several times when she would say something in French and if I didn’t understand she would think for a moment before coming up with a way to say it in English. Google Translate came into play a couple of times also, to clarify medical terminology. In general, though, her English got stronger the longer we talked and the more comfortable she felt. (The results were not serious — “Ce n’est pas grave.” But I was glad to have a doctor reassure me of this.)
Payment
Since I don’t have Quebec Health Insurance, I paid the total for my office visit with a credit card before we left. The receptionist gave me a receipt which I can use to get reimbursement from my travel medical insurance or from my HSA.
