I'm looking for an ob/gyn in Madrid who speaks English and, most importantly, practices medicine in more of an American style. By this I mean someone who actually asks you questions ("how are you feeling?"), invites questions to be asked, offers information, touches you, etc.
I have Sanitas so private isn't a problem.
So far I have had two doctors here who have neither touched me during the visit nor asked me how I am feeling. The entire experience has been unpleasant and business-like...not very caring.
Although I would like my doctor to understand/speak basic English, the priority for me right now is finding someone who doesn't sit behind a desk for 5 minutes, speak to me for 5 minutes, and call that an appointment.
Any suggestions appreciated!!
Thanks!
tmo
Posts: 11 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 03 September 2003
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Posts: 881 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 08 November 2002
sanitas does have a center called Centro de Salud de Mujeres here i have had good experiences here, very friendly and professional, but english-speaking...no.
David Harris, the British rep for Sanitas in Madrid has a sight that is dreadful, but has a link somewhere on it that offers a listing of english speaking sanitas doctors. i clicked on gyn and got this
you should call to ck it out though. you can also try calling sanitas directly, though this has never worked for me. they say they don't have a list of eng-speaking docs.
finally, you can try calling your embassy. the us embassy will give you a list which is here
again, best to call first. finally, i'd suggest if you really want an english-spking doc and can't find one in sanitas, just find one and pay out of pocket.
finally...IF YOU FIND ONE AND THEY DO SPK ENGLISH.....PLEASE PLEASE POST IT HERE!
it gets frustrating to always help folks with their questions and then they never follow up with the results.
good luck!!!! candy
Posts: 1001 | Location: MADRID! | Registered: 09 November 2002
The real challenge for me, though, is to find someone who not only speaks English but does not act like a typical Spanish physician.
You will be hard pressed to find anything much different. You are, afterall, in Spain.
That said, I have to say that initially I too was surprised at the lack of "bedside manners" here in the medical profession. And believe me, I have had 4 different surgical/hospitalization procedures over the past 5 years...both through the public health system as well as the private health system here.
What I have learned to accept is that my physical health was being taken care of even if my American sensibities weren´t. I left that part up to my husband.
There is an English speaking OB/GYN that advertises in In-Madrid. I think her name is Anne Suarez. I have never used her so I cannot make any recommendations either way, but you might want to check her out.
What I have learned to accept is that my physical health was being taken care of even if my American sensibities weren´t.
i'm so glad Chica said it first.
tmo, where are you from? if the u.s.a., what Chica said above was the best advice you could get. not sure about med. care in u.k. but maybe it is same style as u.s.a.?
do you absolutely need the touchy feely reassurement/support. i am not a woman so i will not be giving birth so smack me if i am off base here. your family and friends can take up the emotional end, let the doctor take care of your physical health.
a wise doctor once said, "i'll take your temperature and take it well but i won't stroke your but while i put the thermometer in"
ok, that is an exageration and joke of course but it has a lot of truth to it.
i had an operation here a few years ago and i found that during my pre-op visits to the doctor and also in the surgery, the medical staff was what an american consider almost rede.
it was a shocker to me as i had pre-conceived ideas of what medical care like that shoudl be like having grown up in the u.s.a.
i got past that and realized, hey, i am getting quality med. care and what needs to be done for me is being done efficiently.
sounds cold but it is the important thing, by far.
at the recommendation on a friend i even looked into having the surgery in the states but came to my senses when the price tag there on the procedure was approx. 12,000 - 15,000 dollars. here in spaimn i had the procedure done under the public health system and it was, of course, free.
i do not think that the care i had here was inferior to what i would have had in u.s.a. but yes, the touchy feely and constant reassurement was not what it would have been stateside.
quote:
The real challenge for me, though, is to find someone who not only speaks English but does not act like a typical Spanish physician.
maybe you should adopt the mindset of a spanish patient instead of expecting the physician to adopt an american mindset. after all, as Chica said, you are in spain.
I am from the US. And I do need "touchy-feely" support - or, at least, a basic "How are you feeling?", which is more than what my doctors here have given me.
The doctors here do need to take a lesson from other countries in the world, including but not limited to the US. My partner here in Spain IS, in fact, a doctor (and although not Spanish studied in the system here), and he absolutely agrees with me. Both he and I have had extremely negative experiences here.
I completely disagree that I am supposed to adopt the "mindset" of a Spanish patient. This mindset is a mindset of a people who are not used to expecting much. Obviously they are going to accept whatever horrible treatment they are given, because they feel there is no other option. This mindset also explains why customer service in this country (think of banks, phone companies, Iberia) is virtually non-existent.
A doctor is supposed to provide medical care. For me this not only consists of medical knowledge - these days one can get that from the Internet. It's also psychological treatment and care.
I don't want a robot. Nor do I need to have a best friend. But I would like my doctor to greet me with "How are you? How are you feeling? Symptoms?" and a smile instead of grunting commands. That's ridiculous.
I do know that Spain is widely considered in the worldwide medical community to have horrible patient treatment. I don't know if the US is superior - I have also heard excellent things about France and the UK. But I do know that things in Spain are not good, and that the people shouldn't merely accept it. Things will never change that way.
Posts: 11 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 03 September 2003
Personally I was never impressed with the way american doctors treated me or my family memebers in the US. And I lived in the city that has some supposedly very accomplished hospitals. We had some terrible experiences and - not appearing very caring would be the least of it. Actually, today I had to go to emergency over at Gregorio Maranon hospital (my dad got some nasty tooth infection) and we had a very positive experience. El medico who treated my dad spoke very good english, asked many good questions, examined him, gave prescription for antibiotics + pain reliever and even made some pleasant small talk. We left quite happy (as happy as you can be while having a toothache) and satisfied because we were done in less than an hour. I can just remember how long it took me going to emergency in US on Sunday...
Posts: 196 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 02 November 2004
I don't know, sure sounds like it's pretty much the same everywhere...depends on who you get on what day, and you have to shop around. In any country.
Once in the US, I had a kidney stone (which my mother says is more painful than childbirth), and when I told the nurse how much I was hurting, she said to me, "We all have pain, honey." Lovely.
Due to several bad experiences with GYNs in the US, I have always, but always scheduled a "consultation" before having an exam with them. I need talk to them and see how I feel about them before "letting them in." Perhaps you can do the same? And, asking for recommendations here is a very good idea. I'm still shopping for a good one myself.
Having lived here close to 14 years I have had several ob/gyn experiences. I have been a patient at Unidad Médica and found Dr. Campillo to be very adecuate and professional. UM is also used to having American patients so they're more likely to give the touchy feely bedside manners that we're more accostumed to. By the way, experiences with all other doctors at UM have been good, for me as well as students. For a few years I had Sanitas, I think and I went to a female ob/gyn and I thought her manner was a bit cooler and sort of dismissive, but still adecuate. The last couple of years I've gone to another private place and I don't think they work with any insurance but if you can get your insurance to reimburse you then you're ok. His name is Dr Muñoz, address López de Hoyos, 70, tel. 91-562-1474. I have no idea if he speaks English or not, he is Spanish, but I have felt very well cared for, he has been friendly and reassuring and always willing to answer questions and he also always asks me all kinds of questions. I am a bit of a chicken when it comes to medical procedures and the touchy feely is reassuring, but I do have to echo what so many others have said, I rather feel that I'm getting good care and if I am, then screw the bedside manners, I'll moan and complain about that to my friends, and wallow in self pity if I have to, but I much rather complain about that and still be able to say I got excellent free medical help than the other way around, along the lines "they were very nice and I felt so reassured, but they gave me the wrong test/medication". That said, I will ask more questions than I think a lot of Spaniards do, but I find that if I ask politely and explain that I am interested and want to know the whys and hows, most doctors do not hesitate to spend a few extra minutes explaining things. I think if you also admit to "estar nerviosa" that can change the demeanor and they might be a bit more sympathetic. Good luck and do let us know if you find something good. Lena
Originally posted by lena: I think if you also admit to "estar nerviosa" that can change the demeanor and they might be a bit more sympathetic.
Really good point. That's exactly why I schedule consultations, because I too am a nervous patient, and letting them know that often improves their bedside manner.
And Jer, you're right on the money about the importance of good medical treatment over bedside manner, but it is also important to be aware that many women need a little more "care" with this particular type of doctor.
I can't offer any real help here - like the name of a nice ob/gyn - but I just wanted to make a comment. First, you guys are scaring me! I am on my way to Madrid and I am a nervous patient! But anyway, my comment was just that I have encountered doctors here with horrible bedside manners -- mainly the neurosurgeons I met with after I slipped a disc in my back. They were curt, didn't explain medical terminology, and made me feel rushed. I finally told them how they were making me feel - I guess the equivalent of telling them "hey! estoy nerviosa." I asked that they be a more aware of the fact that I am not a doctor so they need to explain things to me in terms I can understand, and that while they may do surgery everyday, I don't have surgery everyday, so be a little sensitive to that fact. Is that something you can do with a Spanish doctor, or will they just look at you like you're a crazy American who talks about their feelings at totally inappropriate times? Anyhoo, I'd also like to know if you find a good ob/gyn.....
Posts: 73 | Location: Washington, DC - Madrid | Registered: 10 May 2005
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