A couple of years ago a good friend of mine was feeling badly and went to the doctor here in Cancun. He was told one thing....given some meds and go no help. He went back several times and each time it was something differnt wrong with him and some new meds. Finally he said to hell with it, went back to London, was told he had the big C and passed in 6 weeks or so. I can't help but think if the doctor here knew what he was doing maybe my friend would still be with us. As a result of this I have a trememdous dis-trust of doctors and the medical profession here in Cancun as a whole. But, the time will come I am sure, when I must seek medical help for one thing or another. Anybody know of an english speaking properly trained doctor? Hopefully someone trained in the States of the UK???
I cannot help you with doctors in Cancun, but I will tell you out of experience that many doctors in the USA will miss the big C as well due to similar symptoms of other diseases. I am sorry your friend passed away, but I am not sure that a doctor at home would have helped either.
I think cancer can show up with so many symptoms that it can be hard to diagnose unless you are looking for it. Kind of the way heat problems or bad RAM in computers can cause vastly different symptoms that make you think tons of other things are wrong. That said docs in Mexico get half the training that docs in the States get. Docs here do not go through a 4 year premed program before med school they just study medicine in college and then do an internship and they are out and practicing. That's 5 years of training after high school. Excuse me but that's not enough. I do think docs here are, on average, nicer and less stressed out than the ones I know in the States. But are they as competent? Certainly not until they have a lot of experience.
Use this receta for what ails you: 1) Antibiotic 2) Anti-Inflammatory 3) Advil / Asprina / Topical Cream I've learned that this is the precription of choice when going to the doctors here. Plus, follow up with anti-bicho medication every 6 months or whenever you get the runs really really bad. Whichever comes first. Thats 500 pesos please. You're welcome and gracias.
My experience here has been good. My doctor on Isla Mujeres, Dr. Antonio Salas, has caused my Cleveland Clinic doctors to write him emails for the good calls he's made. Since a lot of the docs in their 50s in the US were educated in Mexico when the med schools had admission ceilings, I think they do very well stacked against US doctors. I have MS and Salas has made a point of reading up on the latest during the last 5 years.
I think the biggest difference here is just the lack of access to up-to-date equipment and much more reluctance to run lots of costly tests without good reason, as is common in the States. As for the training, I do tend to think that it is a little sub-standard, compared to the US or UK, but that isn't to say that there are not excellent doctors here. But as with anywhere, a second or third opinion should always be gotten if you doubt their diagnosis.
Cancun Doctor's I recently fell and broke my leg. I, too, always wondered what would I do if I had a medical emergency. As a Registered Nurse from NY, I may be a little more critical than the next guy. When they told me I needed surgery on my ankle to put a screw in, I was EXTREMELY apprehensive to say the least. But, when my husband and I spoke about me going back to NY, we realized I could be stuck there for up to 10 weeks and we couldn't leave my daughter alone for that long. I have to say, the surgeon was EXCELLENT, the hospital was IMMACULATE, they got my IV in the FIRST STICK, the anesthesiologist didn't leave me dying like the one I had in New York. I trained with all American doctors that went to Medical school in Guadalajara. They were excellent doctors and I find it hard to believe that just because a person is Mexican, they do not qualify as good doctors. My doctors didn't know I had cancer for 4months until a surgeon operated and found it. So you see, a ptient needs to find a really good doctor and then the Medial care follows. My doctor came to my house for the first 2 weeks aft surgery because my husband was out of town for the first two weeks. House calls??? I remember when I was a kid (in the early 60's), my doctor made a house call....that was the last time I heard of them! Kudos to the Medical people here in Cancun...I'm not so afraid anymore! PS....A friend of mine just broke his leg in Matzatlan, went back to NY and wound up in a nurisng home for 3 weeks. I went home from the hospital after the surgery and followed all the doctor's rules. I am happy to be walking 3 months later!
Nice to hear that from a professional. Last year my wife fell in a sidewalk hole and messed up her ankle, and she was afraid to seek medical attention for it and and just bite the bullet and dealt with the pain. It was really swelled up and she was in a lot of pain. I will show her this, if it happens again maybe she will see someone.
