My Medical Experience

[bauser 0]

In at 7:10 AM.

Out at 10:30 AM.

Be prepared for lots of waiting unless you are super early!

---

Lucky me, I scheduled my medical on what turned out to be the coldest day of the winter so far. It was -20C and I couldn't bear to wait outside for the 7 AM opening... so I timed my arrival to be slightly after 7 AM.

Arrived at 7:10 AM to find the waiting room completely full already. Most were families in groups of 2-4. There were only a few people on their own.

An hour passed by, and I slowly watched everyone 'ahead' of me get called in at steady intervals. It is important to note that while you are in the main waiting room, people get called for different parts of the medical process -- so it is not always in the exact order that you might expect.

8:10 AM: finally got called for registration. The lady asked me for my passport, passport photos, immunization records, and finally the 185 dollars (paid in cash). She asked me to sign a release form to allow my blood to be tested for HIV/Syphilis. She then handed me all of my paperwork and a receipt. This process took about 5 minutes and then I was asked to wait in a hallway, where i saw some of the people who were called ahead of me. As soon as I sat down, another lady asked me to come into the x-ray room and it took another couple of minutes to take it.

I sat in this hallway for another hour. At one point a 3rd lady took my paperwork from me but it wasn't clear what we were all doing in this hallway. My best guess is that we had to wait in the hallway as some sort of radiation cooldown... eventually, the people ahead of me got called back to the waiting room so I figured I would be up next.

9:10 AM: As expected, I was told to return to the main waiting room, where I waited with all the same faces. In total there were maybe a dozen people getting medicals by my count. I watched as the people ahead of me slowly got called in by a lady in a white lab coat. This call was for a blood test and it came pretty quickly after I returned to the main waiting room.

10:00 AM: I was called for the last time to an exam room. This is where an attendant takes your height and weight (you just tell it to them) and nurse takes your pulse and blood pressure. At that point you are told to strip down and put on a gown made of paper. I sat there waiting for the physical exam for another 10-15 minutes. When the doctor came in he reviewed my immunizations (all set), shot through a list of questions regarding my medical history (nothing of note), and then proceeded with a 5 minute physical exam (throat, back, chest, abdomen). By then it was 10:30 and I was told to head to the front desk to hand in a form. I was told to return in 2 days after lunch and before 4pm to retrieve the results.

So the long and the short of it is... if you want to get out quickly try to wait outside before 7am. Otherwise, you are better off coming later and being part of the last group. I was only 10 minutes past the opening time but ended up leaving with the last group of patients (the people behind me came in much later). I'm sure the waiting times vary depending on how many families there are... singles seem to process quicker. Overall, there is a lot of waiting (up to 60 minutes) broken up by 5-10 minute intervals of activity (registration, x-ray, blood test, exam).

[JillA 2]

Good review! At least it's over with right! I remember getting there at about 6:30am so was the first one in, I was lucky as I was out by 8:15 and at work by 9! But I wasn't there on the coldest day of the year, so I didn't mind waiting outside I think it was springtime!

[Krikit 1,163]

I thought all medicals had been moved to Vancouver and Montreal? Interesting.

[trailmix 77]

I thought all medicals had been moved to Vancouver and Montreal? Interesting.

Might I direct you to the Canada VJwiki page

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/...er_17th.2C_2008

[Krikit 1,163]

I thought all medicals had been moved to Vancouver and Montreal? Interesting.

Might I direct you to the Canada VJwiki page

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/...er_17th.2C_2008

D'oh!

[sandy44 0]

Montreal was smooth for me .. was in and out in 45 mins. Would highly recommend Sanagex Medicine du Travail for anyone close to mtl or having to choose between TO and MTL !!

[Bern. 3]

Thank god it's over. ^ ^!

But for my own reference, you HAVE to take your medical exam for the CR-1/IR-1 in Montreal or Toronto only?

[trailmix 77]

Thank god it's over. ^ ^!

But for my own reference, you HAVE to take your medical exam for the CR-1/IR-1 in Montreal or Toronto only?

Might I direct you to the Canada VJwiki page

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/...er_17th.2C_2008

[Bern. 3]

I guess that's a yes...what a pain >_<

[Empath 0]

In at 7:10 AM.

Out at 10:30 AM.

Be prepared for lots of waiting unless you are super early!

---

Lucky me, I scheduled my medical on what turned out to be the coldest day of the winter so far. It was -20C and I couldn't bear to wait outside for the 7 AM opening... so I timed my arrival to be slightly after 7 AM.

Arrived at 7:10 AM to find the waiting room completely full already. Most were families in groups of 2-4. There were only a few people on their own.

An hour passed by, and I slowly watched everyone 'ahead' of me get called in at steady intervals. It is important to note that while you are in the main waiting room, people get called for different parts of the medical process -- so it is not always in the exact order that you might expect.

8:10 AM: finally got called for registration. The lady asked me for my passport, passport photos, immunization records, and finally the 185 dollars (paid in cash). She asked me to sign a release form to allow my blood to be tested for HIV/Syphilis. She then handed me all of my paperwork and a receipt. This process took about 5 minutes and then I was asked to wait in a hallway, where i saw some of the people who were called ahead of me. As soon as I sat down, another lady asked me to come into the x-ray room and it took another couple of minutes to take it.

I sat in this hallway for another hour. At one point a 3rd lady took my paperwork from me but it wasn't clear what we were all doing in this hallway. My best guess is that we had to wait in the hallway as some sort of radiation cooldown... eventually, the people ahead of me got called back to the waiting room so I figured I would be up next.

9:10 AM: As expected, I was told to return to the main waiting room, where I waited with all the same faces. In total there were maybe a dozen people getting medicals by my count. I watched as the people ahead of me slowly got called in by a lady in a white lab coat. This call was for a blood test and it came pretty quickly after I returned to the main waiting room.

10:00 AM: I was called for the last time to an exam room. This is where an attendant takes your height and weight (you just tell it to them) and nurse takes your pulse and blood pressure. At that point you are told to strip down and put on a gown made of paper. I sat there waiting for the physical exam for another 10-15 minutes. When the doctor came in he reviewed my immunizations (all set), shot through a list of questions regarding my medical history (nothing of note), and then proceeded with a 5 minute physical exam (throat, back, chest, abdomen). By then it was 10:30 and I was told to head to the front desk to hand in a form. I was told to return in 2 days after lunch and before 4pm to retrieve the results.

So the long and the short of it is... if you want to get out quickly try to wait outside before 7am. Otherwise, you are better off coming later and being part of the last group. I was only 10 minutes past the opening time but ended up leaving with the last group of patients (the people behind me came in much later). I'm sure the waiting times vary depending on how many families there are... singles seem to process quicker. Overall, there is a lot of waiting (up to 60 minutes) broken up by 5-10 minute intervals of activity (registration, x-ray, blood test, exam).

Gee, I wonder if you were the couple up by the kids toys??? LOL We were the last ones in, I think, and definitely the last ones out!! At noon!! Oh, and it was -23 according to the billboard on the DVP!!!! Ugh!

Edited January 14, 2009 by Empath

[SapphireDreams 71]

I'm going on the 26th, I hope its not too cold, I need to be out asap so I can get to work!! I'm going to arrive early!

[bauser 0]

Gee, I wonder if you were the couple up by the kids toys??? LOL We were the last ones in, I think, and definitely the last ones out!! At noon!! Oh, and it was -23 according to the billboard on the DVP!!!! Ugh!

Nah, I was by myself -- Chinese guy with a long brown coat, grey wool sweater and corduroys... looking somewhat tired and frazzled (and bored) .

What time did you get in? I'm just curious to know how long you waited in total. Were you the one with a child tagging along?

I'm going on the 26th, I hope its not too cold, I need to be out asap so I can get to work!! I'm going to arrive early!

The bottleneck seems to be the x-rays. If you can get in on the first group of x-rays it will cut down your waiting time by at least an hour. There is room for about 6 to 9 people in the X-ray holding area.

[Empath 0]

What time did you get in? I'm just curious to know how long you waited in total. Were you the one with a child tagging along?

Yuppers. We arrived close to eight. I'd hoped to get there for seven, but didn't manage to leave early enough to miss the bumper to bumper early traffic.

[to_hope 0]

In at 7:10 AM.

Out at 10:30 AM.

Be prepared for lots of waiting unless you are super early!

....

So the long and the short of it is... if you want to get out quickly try to wait outside before 7am. Otherwise, you are better off coming later and being part of the last group. I was only 10 minutes past the opening time but ended up leaving with the last group of patients (the people behind me came in much later). I'm sure the waiting times vary depending on how many families there are... singles seem to process quicker. Overall, there is a lot of waiting (up to 60 minutes) broken up by 5-10 minute intervals of activity (registration, x-ray, blood test, exam).

What time did the folks with whom you left arrive? I think I'd rather get there later and leave later, as opposed to get there early and leave early.

[bauser 0]

What time did the folks with whom you left arrive? I think I'd rather get there later and leave later, as opposed to get there early and leave early.

I was near the front of the pack of the 2nd (and final) group of x-rays. There was one girl ahead of me who arrived around the same time as me (7:10) and about 4 people (including Empath, who said she arrived at 8:00) after me. Since I got out at 10:30, and there were 3 people ahead of Empath (who said she left at 12:00), it's safe to say that they all finished between 10:30 - 11:30.

So it looks like if you are in the 2nd group your wait time will likely be 3-4 hours (done between 10:30-12:00).