F.1: My medical experiences...

In the course of a week, I have visited the doctor twice now. Both times have been experiences. My mother is a nurse and works at an eye doctor and I was sick a lot growing up so I am very familiar with doctors offices and they way they work in the United States so I was very interested to see the differences in the way the systems work. Right off the bat the check in process was very interesting to me. Having been to urgent care centers I am familiar with walking into an office without an appointment. When I walked into the Arthur Vernes medical center general medicine center you are directed to take a number, like at the deli, which I found a little humorous for some odd reason despite the pain in my leg. I was also interested to see how the free health care system worked. My host mother Madame Bennett had explained to me later that you generally pay for the visit (like a co-pay) and any medicine you need on a card called the Carte Vitale and then the French government or healthcare people reimburse you for it. Which is nice but not so nice if you don’t have the money to pay up front I guess, I’m still not clear on how that part of it works, but c’est la vie I guess.
After I got my number and waited to have my number called to order my meats, I mean see the doctor, I gave the receptionist my information then waited again to be called into the doctor’s office. From the time I got into the doctor’s office to the time I left was about a total of 5 minutes, at best. It was odd because you go in directly with the doctor, no nurse, no extra waiting around once you’ve made it into the doctor’s office. She asked a few questions, looked at my leg, said it was infected and wrote me antibiotics. I tried explaining my other ailments such as my stuffy nose and sore throat but she just replied with “yeah, well I’m giving you antibiotics” and that was it more or less. My second visit was more of the same except my leg was 3 times worse which surprised me. She gave me a new prescription and told me to come back again if it wasn’t working and sent me on my way. I am trying not to judge the health care system on this one hospital but I do find myself wondering if it is the same sort of nonchalance in other places? All I do know is that I will be pleased to get back to a doctor in the states who is conscience of trying to make sure I am a “return customer” and giving me a thorough check before I leave the office instead of just suggesting that I keep coming back if it’s not getting better in a few days…