A minor miracle

Getting a doctor in Quebec is a little less difficult than getting head in synagog. It's pretty much impossible. And for a number of reasons. But ultimately, about half of the people here have no doctor of their own and rely on 'walk in' clinics for their care.

So when you go to a walk in clinic, you're greeted, they take your insurance number (province provided) and they give you a seat. Your home for the next two hours at least. You wait your couple of hours (longer sometimes) and then are given a room number.

Go to the room and in springs a doctor. Last time for me it was a young guy in nice jeans who opened with

"We are busy. I have no time. You have 1 minute. What do you want?"

"A repeat prescription and a referral to an oncologist so that I can schedule scans"

"That's two things. I have time for one. Which?"

"Erm they'll each take about 30 seconds"

"And you have 40 seconds left. Choose one now, then take a seat and wait again"

"That's stupid"

"20 seconds. Choose or leave"

"Which is most likely to kill me. Not having the drugs or skipping a scan?"

"10 secs"

I chose the prescription(I told him what I needed and how much, he took notes and signed off, not a glance at my records), mentally braced to come back the next day and tried not to swing for the man.


Jude didn't take this in a supine position. The number you call to get a doctor (811) actually laugh when you tell them that you're looking. I tried for 14 hrs over 2 days once, got close then had the guy take money to register me on to then say it was for his 2 year waiting list. Not Jude.

As faculty at the university she gets access to a doctor. And was lucky enough to be one of two people 'chosen' to receive a doctor to take her through her pregnancy (they take 2 people a month, she's one of the 2 in Feb)... so today she talked to that doctor, who had heard of a program, who might be able to get you in to see interns at the hospital. They'll rotate. They have a 50% cancellation rate but they keep your notes, they have an appointment system and they can write referrals. Four hours and a couple of calls later I was in.

Nobody here can believe it. I have a kind of family doctor (sorta), who will know who I am and actually keep notes AND they're affiliated to a hospital. And I've been here a year.

Jude be a star