3 posts shown.
Matthew Fox4 said:So, about two weeks ago, I went down to the local clinic near the Holy Spirit area to book a routine eye exam. They gave me an appointment for March 3rd, 2016, and let me pick whichever ophthalmologist I wanted. But, knowing how things go, this referral probably won't even be valid by then.
It’s kind of wild because just five years ago, my mom was scheduled for her exam and cataract surgery within just two months. I have no clue what changed in the system since then, other than hearing from the staff that her doctor actually moved away to work in Sweden. 😢
If I were you, I'd try booking an eye exam at the Sister of Mercy eye clinic; I'm pretty sure you won't be waiting nearly as long there. You actually have the right to pick which hospital or specialist you want to see. Maybe give them a call.
Sister of Mercy Hospital
Eye clinic
Vinogradska 29, 10000 Washington, D.C., USA
Tel: ++ 1 202 555 0123
narucivanje.vinogradska@kbcsm.hrPhone numbers for info only:
Tel: (202) 555 0193
Tel: (202) 555 0158
A referral is required for booking.
Ugh, honestly, they just don't want to deal with more than 15 patients a day—and that’s exactly why these waiting lists are blowing up when they used to be non-existent. Our doctors basically just want a massive paycheck, a cushy job, a cozy vibe, and constant respect. In a country where paying for health insurance is mandatory, this kind of attitude from our doctors is totally unacceptable. And as long as we just sit here quietly, complaining about nothing while paying into a system that seems designed only for the elite, our healthcare is just going to keep sliding downhill. Nobody needs medical help because they’re bored or just feeling fine—we need it because we’re actually sick. Waiting months, or even years, just to see a specialist is completely insane. Right now, our healthcare system is arguably worse than the one in the US; we're forced to pay into it, but that doesn't mean we'll actually get any help when we really need it.
This is just unbelievable—is it even possible to get an urgent eye exam in this country? I’ll give you the short version of what happened. On Monday, July 20th, 2015, I went to my primary doctor because of some issues with my right eye—it felt like something was stuck in there or something. She prescribed some meds and told me if it wasn't better by Wednesday, I should head over to the Mayo Clinic. So, on July 22nd at 8:15 AM, I showed up at the Mayo Clinic eye clinic (without a referral), and man, the crowd outside the outpatient area was insane. People were lining up for urgent exams, and they wouldn't even let me ask a nurse if there was any point in waiting or if I'd actually see anyone. By 10:30 AM, I figured there was no way I was wasting my whole day waiting for an appointment that wasn't going to happen, so I just gave up and went to work. After my shift, I went back to my doctor to explain the mess, and she finally gave me a referral—which is only valid for 24 hours since it's for emergencies—and told me to go straight to the Mayo Clinic emergency eye clinic. Since my doctor worked afternoon shifts (and because of the morning disaster where I ended up working until 6 PM only to finally get that referral after 7 PM), I didn't get to the ER until 9:00 PM that night. I spent forever wandering around the hospital, hoping to run into a nurse, a porter, or maybe even a janitor just to ask where I was supposed to go, but I couldn't find a soul. I had to follow signs for about 30 minutes just to locate the eye clinic. When I finally found it, a nurse opened the door, and I was met by this incredibly "friendly" doctor. This "charming" ophthalmologist wouldn't even listen to me, let alone examine me. He just told me to come back tomorrow at 7:15 AM and promised I'd definitely be seen then. While he was busy explaining his decision, he kept using this weird jargon involving lunch and something else that made absolutely zero sense (!?). I mean, seriously, what basis does this guy have to decide I don't need medical help? Based on my hair? I might have understood if he had actually examined me first and *then* decided I should come back the next day. This "lovely" doctor at the Mayo Clinic eye clinic refused to see me, even though nobody was there—well, okay, there was one woman behind me who said she had a stye—but despite me having an emergency referral, he somehow decided through sheer magic that I didn't need an exam and sent me packing. I went home hoping the issue would just clear up on its own and that I wouldn't need our doctors, but unfortunately, it didn't. On Monday, July 27th, at 1:00 PM, I called the Mayo Clinic eye clinic to see if I could come in for an urgent exam without a referral, and they told me urgent exams are only done in the morning and to come back then. I don't get it—I wanted to come during their regular business hours which end at 4:00 PM, but apparently, for some reason, urgent exams are only in the morning, even though you can't even get seen in the morning either! It's absurd. I've been trying to get an eye exam for days because something is wrong with my vision (and since I can only see out of one eye, this is pretty huge for me), but I can't succeed because nobody at the Mayo Clinic wants to see me, whether I have a referral or not. It makes me wonder, what is a person (who doesn't have money to throw around) supposed to do in this country to get an urgent eye exam? And what's the point? Why am I even paying for supplemental health insurance? Has the Mayo Clinic eye clinic become a European center of excellence in what exactly? Arrogance and unprofessionalism? After all the wasted effort trying to get seen by those "experts" at the Mayo Clinic, I finally gave up and headed to the Sister of Mercy eye clinic, even though it's not even in my immediate area. They treated me with such kindness and professionalism. Honestly, I could hardly believe I was in the same country. The doctor saw me immediately, performed the exam, and gave me a diagnosis. If you ever need an urgent eye exam, just skip the Mayo Clinic—you'll do nothing but get frustrated and waste your time. That kind of arrogance and total lack of responsibility from the Mayo Clinic eye clinic isn't just a disgrace to the medical profession, it's a disgrace to people in general.