K-1 - Civil Surgeon experience

[curvebell 29]

Just thought I would share my experience on visiting a civil surgeon in Spokane, WA - since I could find no information specific to this area.

Basically there are 3 civil surgeons. Dr/s Lee & Lee, who are husband and wife; and Dr Goodwinn, who works out of Spokane Falls Family Clinic. Here is my experience with both Dr (Mrs) Lee & Dr Goodwin;

Dr Goodwin - Will transcribe for $175 (which I was informed would be the same I would pay if I were to have a physical)... HOWEVER... I was told that I needed to register with the clinic and wait a week to be entered into the system. I would then need to pay the $175 upfront to make the appointment with Dr Goodwin. Once I got to speak with him he would then let me know whether or not my 'immigration situation' was something he could help me with. I asked the office manager whether or not he would transcribe my immunization record to an i-693 and she told me she didn't know and advised me to pay the money and see the doctor. So basically if Dr Goodwin refused, i would have been out of $175. What a joke.

Dr Lee - Will transcribe for $25. Great right!!! I was told to bring my passport/visa, marriage cert, husbands birth cert, DS-3025 and other medical information I had from my home country. The receptionist told me that I will need to have a TB test to which I refused, she stated that I would need proof if this was the case - so I told her I would bring the USCIS i-693 instructions that say that I don't need another. Sounded easy enough.

So I booked to see Dr Lee. In a nutshell, she INSISTED that I needed to have a TB skin test/X-RAY. I showed her my entire medical I had done in my home country and she basically told me it was worthless - even though it was endorsed by the US Embassy panel physician. She refused to read or even look at the i-693 instructions I brought along with me and basically told me to go see Dr Goodwin if I wasn't happy with her. I'm glad I did my research as I knew I did not need to have another physical or TB test - heck, I had the x-rays with me and was not about to drop another $300. Anyway she basically kicked me out of her office.

After a couple of hours of whinging and trying to track down that infamous Texas doctor I had been reading a lot about who would transcribe over the phone/fax (they are no longer a civil surgeon FYI) - I got a call from Dr Lee's receptionist who said she had found some information supporting what I had said (DUH!) and invited me back the following monday to see the doctor. TO make a long story short(er) - Dr Lee transcribed my DS-3025 in about 10 minutes and admitted that she had not really dealt with anyone with a K-1 VISA.

I truly hope this helps the next person who comes through this way. Don't forget to do your research!

What an exhausting process. Now I can hopefully get AOS away this week!

[Messybrownhair 251]

Good for you! Congrats and goodluck!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

YAY!! I'm so happy you got it worked out!!

[curvebell 29]

Thanks guys! These civil surgeons are a bunch of crooks! haha.

[s&v 1]

Just thought I would share my experience on visiting a civil surgeon in Spokane, WA - since I could find no information specific to this area.

Basically there are 3 civil surgeons. Dr/s Lee & Lee, who are husband and wife; and Dr Goodwinn, who works out of Spokane Falls Family Clinic. Here is my experience with both Dr (Mrs) Lee & Dr Goodwin;

Dr Goodwin - Will transcribe for $175 (which I was informed would be the same I would pay if I were to have a physical)... HOWEVER... I was told that I needed to register with the clinic and wait a week to be entered into the system. I would then need to pay the $175 upfront to make the appointment with Dr Goodwin. Once I got to speak with him he would then let me know whether or not my 'immigration situation' was something he could help me with. I asked the office manager whether or not he would transcribe my immunization record to an i-693 and she told me she didn't know and advised me to pay the money and see the doctor. So basically if Dr Goodwin refused, i would have been out of $175. What a joke.

Dr Lee - Will transcribe for $25. Great right!!! I was told to bring my passport/visa, marriage cert, husbands birth cert, DS-3025 and other medical information I had from my home country. The receptionist told me that I will need to have a TB test to which I refused, she stated that I would need proof if this was the case - so I told her I would bring the USCIS i-693 instructions that say that I don't need another. Sounded easy enough.

So I booked to see Dr Lee. In a nutshell, she INSISTED that I needed to have a TB skin test/X-RAY. I showed her my entire medical I had done in my home country and she basically told me it was worthless - even though it was endorsed by the US Embassy panel physician. She refused to read or even look at the i-693 instructions I brought along with me and basically told me to go see Dr Goodwin if I wasn't happy with her. I'm glad I did my research as I knew I did not need to have another physical or TB test - heck, I had the x-rays with me and was not about to drop another $300. Anyway she basically kicked me out of her office.

After a couple of hours of whinging and trying to track down that infamous Texas doctor I had been reading a lot about who would transcribe over the phone/fax (they are no longer a civil surgeon FYI) - I got a call from Dr Lee's receptionist who said she had found some information supporting what I had said (DUH!) and invited me back the following monday to see the doctor. TO make a long story short(er) - Dr Lee transcribed my DS-3025 in about 10 minutes and admitted that she had not really dealt with anyone with a K-1 VISA.

I truly hope this helps the next person who comes through this way. Don't forget to do your research!

What an exhausting process. Now I can hopefully get AOS away this week!

Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

I have a question though if you could help us please: can you give us a link to an official site where it states that we don't need to take another medical exam? I'd like to print it and show it to the civil surgeon too in case they don't know the rules.

Thanks a lot!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

I have a question though if you could help us please: can you give us a link to an official site where it states that we don't need to take another medical exam? I'd like to print it and show it to the civil surgeon too in case they don't know the rules.

Thanks a lot!

it says it on the I-693 instructions.

[s&v 1]

it says it on the I-693 instructions.

ah yeah right, thanks!

[Bill&Jade 0]

I too had done my research but unfortunately the only Dr that I could find basically said that the medical that I had in London was also worthless and that he needed to do his own checks for his records, which included the infamous genital area check. And unlike the Dr in London who felt it acceptable to just "take a peek" down below, he had to physically check me! An experience that I found pretty disturbing as did my husband who was ready to knock him out.

I also HAD to have the skin test done, which came out positive meaning I had been exposed to TB at some point in my life. I was then sent for the chest x-ray (which I couldn't have in London as I was pregnant, hence going to the CS here) The x-ray came back fine, no surprise there BUT as I had a positive skin test they then said I had to be referred to the Health Department to be enrolled in a TB Program!!! I asked if I had to attend this and was told that my forms would not be signed unless I attended at least one appointment with this other Dr. I was also informed that this Dr would be prescribing me medication to treat the latent TB, 9 months worth to be precise. Oh but I wouldn't have to wait that long to get my forms signed...that's good of them!

Thankfully (after several questions) the TB Dr agreed with myself and my husband that the chances of me having been exposed to TB were very slim and as I'd had the BCG vaccination as a child there was a chance that my skin test was a false positive so therefore decided to not treat me...thank heavens!

So finally after over a month of back and forth to various Dr's, forking out over $100 in Dr's fees and also being treated like I had full blown TB at the Health Department, I can finally start my AOS process.

The most frustrating part of the process by far, so far.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I too had done my research but unfortunately the only Dr that I could find basically said that the medical that I had in London was also worthless and that he needed to do his own checks for his records, which included the infamous genital area check. And unlike the Dr in London who felt it acceptable to just "take a peek" down below, he had to physically check me! An experience that I found pretty disturbing as did my husband who was ready to knock him out.

I also HAD to have the skin test done, which came out positive meaning I had been exposed to TB at some point in my life. I was then sent for the chest x-ray (which I couldn't have in London as I was pregnant, hence going to the CS here) The x-ray came back fine, no surprise there BUT as I had a positive skin test they then said I had to be referred to the Health Department to be enrolled in a TB Program!!! I asked if I had to attend this and was told that my forms would not be signed unless I attended at least one appointment with this other Dr. I was also informed that this Dr would be prescribing me medication to treat the latent TB, 9 months worth to be precise. Oh but I wouldn't have to wait that long to get my forms signed...that's good of them!

Thankfully (after several questions) the TB Dr agreed with myself and my husband that the chances of me having been exposed to TB were very slim and as I'd had the BCG vaccination as a child there was a chance that my skin test was a false positive so therefore decided to not treat me...thank heavens!

So finally after over a month of back and forth to various Dr's, forking out over $100 in Dr's fees and also being treated like I had full blown TB at the Health Department, I can finally start my AOS process.

The most frustrating part of the process by far, so far.

OMG. This has to be one of the worst stories I've read... the genital part bothers me most as my husband would have hit him.

First your medical was not required to be redone and neither was the TB skin test if only doing the vaccination transcription.

The doctor is NOT allowed to physically touch your genital region so I certainly hope he did not. He is only allowed to do an external genital check.

The TB part is also ridiculous. You have the skin test, if it's positive you have the x-ray. If that's clear you're supposed to be fine. it's lucky that you weren't pregnant here when doing the medical. You aren't allowed to waive the x-ray, even while pregnant. You can either have it, or wait till you've given birth which is plain ridiculous in my opinion.

Here's some CS info: http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/civil/technical-instructions-civil-surgeons.html

I'm glad it's all over but I would report him if he's done anything seriously dodgy.

[gap1 21]

I wish I had read this sooner, my husband was charged an additional $200 for the civil surgeon appointment. They made him do a TB test, a syphilis test, and get another vaccine (can't remember which, I think it was TB after his test came back negative)...none of which was on the required list of vaccines or tests from his Knightsbridge (London) exam. He completed all vaccines in England before coming over and had proof, yet they still charged us a fortune. When all was said and done, between the £200 London medical and the additional $200, we've paid over $500 for medical bullshit.

After reading the above, it seems we got off easy...I'm so sorry to hear about those humiliating checks. It's infuriating that they get away with treating immigrants this way.

Edited May 31, 2011 by gap1

[curvebell 29]

@ Bill&Jade - I am so shocked to read that you were required to have a 'physical' genital check. The doctor I saw in Australia did not even 'take a peek' down there - so I'm unsure what your CS would have been checking for. Agree with Vanessa, report him if you feel it was inappropriate!

I'm really glad I stuck with my guns with this CS. It seemed like she felt it wasn't worth her time just to transcribe my immunizations - so she thought she might as well try and make some money of this stupid immigrant. The instructions on the i-693 could not be clearer that K-1's do not need to have any further medicals (unless their prior was more than 1 year ago) - why is that not enough evidence for these bloody CS's?!!

[Bill&Jade 0]

OMG. This has to be one of the worst stories I've read... the genital part bothers me most as my husband would have hit him.

First your medical was not required to be redone and neither was the TB skin test if only doing the vaccination transcription.

The doctor is NOT allowed to physically touch your genital region so I certainly hope he did not. He is only allowed to do an external genital check.

The TB part is also ridiculous. You have the skin test, if it's positive you have the x-ray. If that's clear you're supposed to be fine. it's lucky that you weren't pregnant here when doing the medical. You aren't allowed to waive the x-ray, even while pregnant. You can either have it, or wait till you've given birth which is plain ridiculous in my opinion.

Here's some CS info: http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/civil/technical-instructions-civil-surgeons.html

I'm glad it's all over but I would report him if he's done anything seriously dodgy.

Unfortunately the Dr did touch me. I won't go into details but it was pretty distressing for me. The nurse and Dr didn't see why I was so bothered about it which made it even worse. Who are they to say how I should feel about having that done. Good for them if they don't see a problem in it and would happily have someone do something to them that was not needed! It took me quite a while to stop feeling sick and violated, my husband is still wanting to knock the Dr out. It makes me so angry that these Dr's can basically do what they want and charge what they want because they know that we need them more than they need us. We've actually decided to seek some legal advice about it.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Unfortunately the Dr did touch me. I won't go into details but it was pretty distressing for me. The nurse and Dr didn't see why I was so bothered about it which made it even worse. Who are they to say how I should feel about having that done. Good for them if they don't see a problem in it and would happily have someone do something to them that was not needed! It took me quite a while to stop feeling sick and violated, my husband is still wanting to knock the Dr out. It makes me so angry that these Dr's can basically do what they want and charge what they want because they know that we need them more than they need us. We've actually decided to seek some legal advice about it.

Good because it is WRONG! Here is the CS manual (you can take it to your lawyer): http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/civil/technical-instructions-civil-surgeons.html if you click on "medical examination" and scroll to here:

d. A physical examination, including an evaluation of mental status, sufficient to permit a determination of the presence and the severity of Class A and Class B conditions. The physical examination is to include

1. a mental status examination that includes, at a minimum, assessment of intelligence, thought, cognition (comprehension), judgment, affect (and mood), and behavior

2. a physical examination that includes, at a minimum, examination of the eyes, ears, nose and throat, extremities, heart, lungs, abdomen, lymph nodes, skin and external genitalia

3. all diagnostic tests required for the diagnosis of the diseases identified as communicable diseases of public health significance and other tests identified as necessary to confirm a suspected diagnosis of any other Class A or Class B condition

I googled a fair bit and there was mention YEARS ago of a gyno exam but I know my doc didn't even "peak" but he did ask when my last pap was. I'm sorry you had to go through that