Health & Wellness Recommend a good GP

Moving to Dumaguete next spring or summer. Old me is still in good shape and of course so is young she. Nevertheless I like having a doctor and not waiting for a need/emergency.

I also like a doctor who will listen to the patient and not do what most do in the US - act like a dictator. IOW at my age I am not going to be told what I "have" to do. I want a doc who will recommend but not pout if I choose a different course of action.

I heard a great idea (can't remember on which forum) where the expat went to the chief of medicine at the city's best hospital and asked whether the chief would be his personal physician. Probably pays a little more but in theory gets a better doctor.

So any recommendations?

 

I wouldn't go to the chief for the simple reason that many people who are complete disasters in their field basically get "pushed" into administration whether it be medical, engineering or most anything else. When a cop screws up constantly, they give him a desk job. Will the guy who has the desk job and is always around the office advance or the person out in the field? Sometimes people rise to the level of their incompetence. Just get some referrals and hope he is the kind who can say he isn't sure and will refer you to someone else on a case by case basis. Hopefully they are not test happy but not afraid to say you need a blood workup, allergy scratch test or whatever.

 

I would recommend you not go on one"recommendations only". Because someone has had a good experience in one are of medicine here with a doctor does not mean the doctor will be the best for you future medical concerns, particularly if they are in an different area medicine.

I came here 6 years ago with a prostrate issue. I was recommended to a doctor, so I went in to get PSA test to establish "base mark" for future tests. So I got the first test, and then went in 3 months later for the second test. Went to the doctor appointment for a review of the results. Walked in to a smiling face of a doctor with a nice clean desk but no test results. He asked why I was there, then told the nurse to find the test results. When I asked where the test results were from the previous test 3 months earlier... they did not know. He did however almost insist on my getting an operation from him. I refused since I had heard of people dying on the table from simply operations here. He insisted I go to Cebu for a bone scan which I agreed. Which came out good for me. He probably got a referral fee for that. My over all impression was not good and I have not gone back.

My recommendation would be go to a doctor here, and test him out on little things, like getting a oil change on your motorcycle and seeing if the guys put the plug back in. I would visit more than one doctor, they are inexpensive here. Most importantly I would get a relationship with a doctor in Cebu, particularly if you have a specific concern area that you are aware of... a doctor that specializes in your area of concern. If something happens that is life threatening, you will probably have a much better chance in Cebu with a good doctor and a good hospital. There are members here who have gotten good service here in Dumaguete, but there are others who have almost lost their lives before they found good professional care in Cebu. Make out a plan to get the service you need. I do believe most doctors here can handle the smaller things.

 

I cannot recommend any doctors here. But the US embassy recommends these ones:
Hospitals and Medical Facilities in the Philippines | U.S. Embassy in the Philippines

 

I can only relate to you my process for choosing. The office visits here are average 500 Php so we would go into a doctors office and interview them. The purpose was to accomplish basically what you are asking. How does the doctor relate to us on a personal level. Funny story - I interviewed a doctor a few years back when I first arrived here, that while I was discussing certain illnesses with him he seemed to be doing something on his computer. So I leaned over his desk to see the screen and he was reading about the illness we were discussing off of the Mayo Clinic web site. Needless to say I did not chose that doctor. We pick all our doctors that way. My wife's OBGYN and the Pediatrician for the kids also. Here in Dmgte they teach Medicine so a doctor who is still teaching classes at med school is good, but they have crappy clinic hours

 

They Mayo Clinic online is bad, they rarely update anything and I mean 20-30 or more years out of date for some of it. I look up stuff from the WHO who generally give up to date information.

 

It depends a bit on where you settle. We have quite a good clinic in Zamboanguita headed by a very competent GP. She has referred my husband on for specialist treatment in Dumaguete with which we are also satisfied.

 

This sounds good in that "interviewing" a doctor in the Philippines is a relatively inexpensive process, whereas in the US with a modern HSA/high deductible insurance I would be out $200+.

 

Not sure where we will ultimately be since we will rent 1st before we actually "settle". That said if I liked the doctor I would not mind driving somewhere in the general Dumaguete area.

 

Pretty interesting that even when expatting my government wants to help and/or control me But thanks for the link!