Toronto Medical Today.

[chyiochan 1]

Another REALLY stupid question before I go in two days, is the Exam costs in Canadian Currency or American?

http://www.panelphysicians.com/Pages/ExamCosts.htm

I would really hate to show up with only Canadian currency.. D:

Thanks!

[iampatricias 17]

No, no, GREAT question!

[GLo 0]

Another REALLY stupid question before I go in two days, is the Exam costs in Canadian Currency or American?

http://www.panelphysicians.com/Pages/ExamCosts.htm

I would really hate to show up with only Canadian currency.. D:

Thanks!

Just scroll/glance down under the fees and it says "All fees are in Canadian dollars".

Canadian and US dollars are almost at par at the moment. It's probably a good time to do some current exchange.

On a somewhat related topic...Just tried to call and book a medical appointment in Toronto and I got the answer machine. Does anyone have an idea how long it takes for someone to get back to you?

[Canadiandggal 49]

Just scroll/glance down under the fees and it says "All fees are in Canadian dollars".

Canadian and US dollars are almost at par at the moment. It's probably a good time to do some current exchange.

On a somewhat related topic...Just tried to call and book a medical appointment in Toronto and I got the answer machine. Does anyone have an idea how long it takes for someone to get back to you?

24 hours or so..

[chyiochan 1]

Just scroll/glance down under the fees and it says "All fees are in Canadian dollars".

Canadian and US dollars are almost at par at the moment. It's probably a good time to do some current exchange.

On a somewhat related topic...Just tried to call and book a medical appointment in Toronto and I got the answer machine. Does anyone have an idea how long it takes for someone to get back to you?

Oh my gosh it was very hidden!

Also, I contacted them by e-mail, and I got a reply the next day. Make sure though when booking an appointment through e-mail, let them know what office you want to go to (Montreal or Toronto they asked me) as well as your interview date, so it saves a day's response time. I asked them for a date in Toronto atleast a week before the full week of my interview so the medical documents had enough time to reach me.

[S&B 1]

Yeah, I think they called me back the next day.

[GLo 0]

Awesome! Thanks!

They actually called me within 3-4 hours, but I was in a meeting at work and they left me a voice message on my cell and work number. I didn't know we can schedule an appointment by e-mail. I think I'll do it that way instead.

[chyiochan 1]

Heres what went down at my appointment! It should have been easy but..

I got there at 6:00am, (appointment was at 6:30) and the lady let me in at 6:15 (15 minutes early. I was the first one there)

I was processed and told to sit outside of the X-Ray room for the X-Ray doctor. After about 20 minutes I was called in and had that done. EASY!

Then I was directed to patient room 1 where I was told to wait until a nurse came to take my blood in the room next to it.

(Just want to let you all know, I am EXTREMELY afraid of needles. I can't look, I can't think about them, I swear I can hear them. My eyes were always closed with my head turned, clenching my teeth, and trying to hum ANY tune for every time they tried.)

I sat in the chair and she tried to take some from my right arm. She wiggled it for a good 60 seconds (I could feel it) but then had to take it out because nothing was coming out!

Then she tried my left arm, in which she got a little bit, but it barely went halfway down the tube, my vein had 'collapsed' as they call it. By that time I was very light headed, and I went back into the patient room 1 where I was told to lay down and drink some juice. Another nurse came in after I was feeling better, took my blood pressure and my pulse. Then the Doctor came in and asked me some questions about my past conditions, if I drink, smoke, surgeries. It was very easy to answer! Just make sure you have your immunizations and a letter from your doctor if you had the flu shot already! VERY easy!

I passed that, then had to go back into the blood room for them to try again. I wasn't so light headed that time, and I was able to withstand it. So she tried my right arm first, again nothing came out. So she tried the left arm again, and it did the same as before, stopping in the tube and my vein closing! So she tried my hand. It felt a little weird and it pinched a bit, but she wasn't able to get anything again for all three spots.

I had to go out in the waiting room to wait for another nurse to come into the office. That was about 40 minutes since she didn't start work until 8:30. I went back into the room, and the new nurse tried it. She went for a vein that hurt A LOT for me because apparently its up near the bone on the side of my arm. I totally went into shaky mode, and it took another 10 minutes to calm me down. So they called a third nurse in, and she tried my right arm once again. She did a lot of massaging but she wasn't able to draw any blood.

But when she went to the next arm, she did her massaging again, and as I was humming to myself, she finally had gotten a vein to stay open long enough to get enough blood before it collapsed again.

All of the nurses and doctors were VERY VERY nice to me and so very patient with me. I was glad they were there and didn't get angry at me. They apologized many times throughout the whole procedure and really took care of me. The doctor there was funny as well. I was finally able to get done right before 9am, that's when they close and turn into a normal clinic. I would have had to go to the hospital if they still couldn't get anything!

It would have been done a lot sooner. It should have only taken until 8:00am.

I hope others go faster! All I know is everyone after me was in and out before me!

CURSE SMALL VEINS

[OBX 51]

Yikes, that sounds painful. Smooth sailing from here on in.

[S&B 1]

Heres what went down at my appointment! It should have been easy but..

I got there at 6:00am, (appointment was at 6:30) and the lady let me in at 6:15 (15 minutes early. I was the first one there)

I was processed and told to sit outside of the X-Ray room for the X-Ray doctor. After about 20 minutes I was called in and had that done. EASY!

Then I was directed to patient room 1 where I was told to wait until a nurse came to take my blood in the room next to it.

(Just want to let you all know, I am EXTREMELY afraid of needles. I can't look, I can't think about them, I swear I can hear them. My eyes were always closed with my head turned, clenching my teeth, and trying to hum ANY tune for every time they tried.)

I sat in the chair and she tried to take some from my right arm. She wiggled it for a good 60 seconds (I could feel it) but then had to take it out because nothing was coming out!

Then she tried my left arm, in which she got a little bit, but it barely went halfway down the tube, my vein had 'collapsed' as they call it. By that time I was very light headed, and I went back into the patient room 1 where I was told to lay down and drink some juice. Another nurse came in after I was feeling better, took my blood pressure and my pulse. Then the Doctor came in and asked me some questions about my past conditions, if I drink, smoke, surgeries. It was very easy to answer! Just make sure you have your immunizations and a letter from your doctor if you had the flu shot already! VERY easy!

I passed that, then had to go back into the blood room for them to try again. I wasn't so light headed that time, and I was able to withstand it. So she tried my right arm first, again nothing came out. So she tried the left arm again, and it did the same as before, stopping in the tube and my vein closing! So she tried my hand. It felt a little weird and it pinched a bit, but she wasn't able to get anything again for all three spots.

I had to go out in the waiting room to wait for another nurse to come into the office. That was about 40 minutes since she didn't start work until 8:30. I went back into the room, and the new nurse tried it. She went for a vein that hurt A LOT for me because apparently its up near the bone on the side of my arm. I totally went into shaky mode, and it took another 10 minutes to calm me down. So they called a third nurse in, and she tried my right arm once again. She did a lot of massaging but she wasn't able to draw any blood.

But when she went to the next arm, she did her massaging again, and as I was humming to myself, she finally had gotten a vein to stay open long enough to get enough blood before it collapsed again.

All of the nurses and doctors were VERY VERY nice to me and so very patient with me. I was glad they were there and didn't get angry at me. They apologized many times throughout the whole procedure and really took care of me. The doctor there was funny as well. I was finally able to get done right before 9am, that's when they close and turn into a normal clinic. I would have had to go to the hospital if they still couldn't get anything!

It would have been done a lot sooner. It should have only taken until 8:00am.

I hope others go faster! All I know is everyone after me was in and out before me!

CURSE SMALL VEINS

Hah, I had that same problem with the blood drawing! They poked both arms twice and didn't get anything, apparently my veins are small and deep down. I get the heebies about needles too, but after that I was just like "You know what, just take it from my hand, I don't even care anymore." Lo and behold, they managed to draw it =) Hurt like all hell though.

[Matt n Shannon 3]

LOL thanks for the indepth interview it'll be all worth it in the end

[chyiochan 1]

Hah, I had that same problem with the blood drawing! They poked both arms twice and didn't get anything, apparently my veins are small and deep down. I get the heebies about needles too, but after that I was just like "You know what, just take it from my hand, I don't even care anymore." Lo and behold, they managed to draw it =) Hurt like all hell though.

Ah you too! They got nothing from my hand, but it didn't hurt as much as when the nurse tried a spot that they don't normally do from my arm. I would take many more hand tries than do that one tiem in the arm!

But yes, I am SO glad its almost complete. I'm starting to not sleep properly already because I cant relax. I keep thinking about the interview!

[Heather&Matt 0]

Immunization record question:

So I have my medical on Tuesday (15th) and I have all my immunizations up to date. I have all the little booklets that you receive from when you were younger with the recorded dates of the immunizations. Is this sufficient evidence of immunizations? Do I need a letter from the public health department?

[Shorah 2]

I have the same and was wondering that as well.

Its just a little book from when I was a kid nothing very official looking, but my doctor is now retired.

[Sweetcheeksss 91]

I did mine all in the same trip (tho, not the same week). Flew into Montreal on a Thurs, had the medical on a Friday, picked up the results on Tues, had my interview on Wed and left Thurs. Fun times!