Comments on: How do you find a GP anyhow ? http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/ Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:52:42 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: tarteaucitron http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2725 tarteaucitron Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:31:40 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2725 Elvia and Maria: I can confirm your suggestion (of getting pregnant to find a GP) works, but here's the catch. It's already hard enough to find a gynecologist or obstetrician in this city, as you might know already, but I'm told it would even be HARDER for one to accept you as a new patient if you are pregnant, because it simply means more work for them. Elvia and Maria: I can confirm your suggestion (of getting pregnant to find a GP) works, but here’s the catch. It’s already hard enough to find a gynecologist or obstetrician in this city, as you might know already, but I’m told it would even be HARDER for one to accept you as a new patient if you are pregnant, because it simply means more work for them.

]]> By: Marla Comm http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2724 Marla Comm Sat, 03 Nov 2007 01:17:44 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2724 Sorry to sound so cynical, but finding anything you need in this city borders on the impossible, unless you love junk food and melancholy ballad, have a perverse obsession with potholes, traffic jams and collapsing underpasses or are a masochist dying to put yourself through days without power or water. As I said in another comment, finding certain food and other products here is impossible. As I write, I am in the process of finding a clinic where I can get a flu shot this week without having to pay a clinic administration fee (which just went up). The CLSC isn't giving them till later in the month. My workplace is offering them, but not till the last day of the month. Even the clinic that charges the fee is iffy because it cut its hours. Elvi may be onto something with her advice to get pregnant because our provincial government, which wrecked our healthcare system with reforms that are basically austerity measures, is literally paying women to have babies and will do anything to encourage them to do so. Marla Sorry to sound so cynical, but finding anything you need in this city borders on the impossible, unless you love junk food and melancholy ballad, have a perverse obsession with potholes, traffic jams and collapsing underpasses or are a masochist dying to put yourself through days without power or water.

As I said in another comment, finding certain food and other products here is impossible. As I write, I am in the process of finding a clinic where I can get a flu shot this week without having to pay a clinic administration fee (which just went up). The CLSC isn’t giving them till later in the month. My workplace is offering them, but not till the last day of the month. Even the clinic that charges the fee is iffy because it cut its hours.

Elvi may be onto something with her advice to get pregnant because our provincial government, which wrecked our healthcare system with reforms that are basically austerity measures, is literally paying women to have babies and will do anything to encourage them to do so.

Marla

]]> By: Alan http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2723 Alan Sat, 03 Nov 2007 01:11:51 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2723 As a former Ontarian, I don't think Quebecers realize how dismal the medicare situation is here. I recent found a great GP downtown who IS taking new patients and speaks French and English. But in all honesty folks, Quebec doctors earn 40% less than their counterparts in most of the rest of Canada. So what do you think happens? Well, think of 10 companies in the same city, and they all pay the same, except 1 company. Who do you think works at that company? All of the losers who couldn't get a job at the other 9. It's the same thing with our doctors here in Quebec. Most of the doctors here either are here for family or lifestyle reasons, but the truly talented and ambitious doctors leave for greener and more lucrative pastures. I have lived in Toronto and in 2 smaller towns outside of Toronto and in each case, I found a GP who was infinitely better than any of the others I've dealt with here in Quebec, the exception being the new guy I just discovered and am so far, very happy with. As a former Ontarian, I don’t think Quebecers realize how dismal the medicare situation is here. I recent found a great GP downtown who IS taking new patients and speaks French and English. But in all honesty folks, Quebec doctors earn 40% less than their counterparts in most of the rest of Canada. So what do you think happens?

Well, think of 10 companies in the same city, and they all pay the same, except 1 company. Who do you think works at that company? All of the losers who couldn’t get a job at the other 9.

It’s the same thing with our doctors here in Quebec. Most of the doctors here either are here for family or lifestyle reasons, but the truly talented and ambitious doctors leave for greener and more lucrative pastures.

I have lived in Toronto and in 2 smaller towns outside of Toronto and in each case, I found a GP who was infinitely better than any of the others I’ve dealt with here in Quebec, the exception being the new guy I just discovered and am so far, very happy with.

]]> By: elvi http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2722 elvi Fri, 02 Nov 2007 05:09:07 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2722 Get pregnant, and find a family practitioner. Most of them will take you on if you're pregnant, and then they don't dump you once you deliver. Plus, all your kids get a doctor, too. If you're male, sorry, no advice. Get pregnant, and find a family practitioner. Most of them will take you on if you’re pregnant, and then they don’t dump you once you deliver. Plus, all your kids get a doctor, too. If you’re male, sorry, no advice.

]]> By: tarteaucitron http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2721 tarteaucitron Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:24:48 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2721 I, too, had to use the walk-in services at my local CLSC and at Guy and St-Catherine for more than a year, being treated like a fast food order ('cept it generally takes 2 hours), until finally I enlisted the help of a SOCIAL WORKER to help me locate a GP that really takes new patients, because my situation was getting desperate. Before then, I have asked around, I have asked friends to ask around, and I have been given big, long phone lists of GPs to try, but all in vain. An added hassle of not having a GP is that, when asked by a specialist who gives you a treatment which doctor referred you, I can never remember which of the 10+ doctors it was. I missed the time when, in another province, I had a GP who knew me for years, and I'm glad I finally and only recently found one. I, too, had to use the walk-in services at my local CLSC and at Guy and St-Catherine for more than a year, being treated like a fast food order (’cept it generally takes 2 hours), until finally I enlisted the help of a SOCIAL WORKER to help me locate a GP that really takes new patients, because my situation was getting desperate.

Before then, I have asked around, I have asked friends to ask around, and I have been given big, long phone lists of GPs to try, but all in vain.

An added hassle of not having a GP is that, when asked by a specialist who gives you a treatment which doctor referred you, I can never remember which of the 10+ doctors it was. I missed the time when, in another province, I had a GP who knew me for years, and I’m glad I finally and only recently found one.

]]> By: zura http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2720 zura Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:36:38 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2720 The bribe is for the secretary at the clinic, not you, Mare. :) I lucked out somehow and got a GP through calling the clinic of a friend of mine and asking if they had any doctors taking new patients. I'm not super excited about the doctor I got, but at least I have one. Before this, I used to either go to the CLSC or the walk-in clinics at Guy and Ste. Catherine or the one outside metro Vendome. But you will get served whichever doctor they can spare. The bribe is for the secretary at the clinic, not you, Mare. :) I lucked out somehow and got a GP through calling the clinic of a friend of mine and asking if they had any doctors taking new patients. I’m not super excited about the doctor I got, but at least I have one. Before this, I used to either go to the CLSC or the walk-in clinics at Guy and Ste. Catherine or the one outside metro Vendome. But you will get served whichever doctor they can spare.

]]> By: mare http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2719 mare Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:44:52 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2719 Vila: you misuderstood what I wrote. <b>Ask evrybody you know. Not bribe them.</b> Vila: you misuderstood what I wrote. Ask evrybody you know. Not bribe them.

]]> By: Laiya http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2718 Laiya Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:25:35 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2718 You have to sign up with your CLSC to be a patient of one of the doctors there. That's the case for my neighborhood CLSC. You have to sign up with your CLSC to be a patient of one of the doctors there. That’s the case for my neighborhood CLSC.

]]> By: Vila H. http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2717 Vila H. Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:46:08 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2717 You have a GP, Mare? (<i>Blinks.</i>) I'll give you twenty bucks for a referral. You have a GP, Mare? (Blinks.) I’ll give you twenty bucks for a referral.

]]> By: tornwordo http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/comment-page-1/#comment-2716 tornwordo Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:52:50 +0000 http://montreal.metblogs.com/2007/10/31/how-do-you-find-a-gp-anyhow/#comment-2716 I'd really like to know too. I went to the same clinic for 3 different things. Since they had my file I asked if I could have a GP. They said no. But I could still come in during walk in times and request which doctor I wanted to wait for. I still don't get why I can't get a GP, but this is close enough I guess. I’d really like to know too. I went to the same clinic for 3 different things. Since they had my file I asked if I could have a GP. They said no. But I could still come in during walk in times and request which doctor I wanted to wait for. I still don’t get why I can’t get a GP, but this is close enough I guess.

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