I recently had my first appoitments with swiss doctors: A GP and a dermatologist and I must say I'm really not impressed. The GP was very indifferent. I needed him to write a referral letter for a specialist but tried to ask him some questions and he barely answered and made me understand that I was annoying him. The dermatologist was sooo unpleasant and unprofessional. First of all, when I called to make the appointment I pointed out that I needed him to check my beauty marks, which means I needed a long appointment. When I arrived he told me I needed to make another appointment because it takes time bla bla bla. Fortunately I needed something else from him, if not, I would have come for nothing. After that, he gave me antibiotics without asking me about my allergies. Last thing I hate here: why won't the doctors say how much will cost the visit? Is it surprise surprise? Why do I need to get the invoice several months after and not knowing what to expect? I really take it as a theft, they can write whatever they want he we have to pay it. Tomorrow I have another appointment here in Switzerland and it will be the last time.

Go to France or Germany & pay in cash, it's cheaper as salaries are lower.

That's what I will do because really, for the price we pay them, they should kiss my ..., but no, they behave like we depend on them and they are superior beings.

After you've bough the full page of medics the French doctors will prescribe you, it won't be anymore.
German doctors can be so frustrating: to many of them, plants are high tech.

If you don't like a given doctor, find another one. You don't have to change country every time your experience is not really positive. You'll run out of countries in no time.

You should ask the cost when you make the appointment. I've never in my life had a doctor/dentist tell me him/herself how much the appointment costs.

I didn't mean himself directly but the secretary. They won't tell you the exact price, they say it depends on what he does, bla bla bla, it's so annoying.

You can ask a dentist for a quote- but for a doctor this is not possible. How can a doctor estimate the time it will take to assess your history and family history, examine you properly, etc? They charge by time- and the time depends on how complicated your case is.

So you see 2 doctors, and decide that the whole system is rubbish, and that all Swiss doctors are rubbish too? Did you tell them what you suffer from and tell them how you want your condition to be treated, and what prescription you desire- perhaps?

The problem is that none of the doctors I went to checked for my history, I had to ask the questions myself and he didn't even asked me about my allergies. Fortunately the pharmacist checked it for me. He can give me a quote after the appointment like they do when it's private. Not everyone has reached his franchise.

1. Be nice to your GP or find a new one. They are getting rare in Switzerland which is sad because life without a local GP will be more expensive and a huge hassle in the long run.

2. A lot of specialists are non-Swiss. The government would like to limit the amount of specialists coming in because we need more GPs.

3. Eastern European countries are known for cheaper medical bills so consider this alternative next time.

4. Your attitude irks me.

Well then those really are crap doctors. I'm allergic to penicillin. If they didn't ask me before prescribing an anti-biotic, we could very well have serious problems. Although I would surely tell him had s/he not asked.

Personally, I hate all doctors. (No offense to you doctors out there. ) So, I go in expecting them to be terrible and get a lovely surprise when they are not terrible.

I'm allergic to macrolides and I was so pissed he didn't ask I didn't even bother telling him because for me that means he is not professional and consider his patients as cash cows

Well, that's just cutting off your nose to spite your face. You have to take control of your own health. If they don't ask, tell them. No point in having a strop and then getting sick because you took something you were allergic too.

Like I said, I think they are all crap. So I pay attention to my own health/needs, etc. If they don't ask I tell them.

BTW, did you not fill out a form with all that information on it?

You have an info that is vital to the diagnostic and you willingly chose not to tell your doctor?
You can't be helped.

I simply asked the pharmacist to check the family of the antibiotics he gave me. I'm not that stupid to take this medicine without checking it before. You don't need to go out from medical school to read the componants on the box. And why people here are soo agressive???? Gosh!!! Have an anger management therapy or something.

All new patients have to fill in a form with their medical detail- didn't you have to do that? Any allergies should have been listed on the form.

Agressive? ahahahahaha Anger management indeed

No just a form with my name and insurance provider.

It is really surprising how people here often seem to end up with unfriendly, unprofessional doctors. I'm not saying they don't exist, but it seems expats in particular seem to be doomed to end up with one.
It never happened to me, on the contrary, I found excellent care when needed, especially when my son had that unspecific tumor growing on his skull bone. Maybe it has to with the way you approach them?

How the hell can I approach them?? Hello, how r u? I'm X, I come because I have Y.

If you're going to live here, and if you have health issues, you need to sort it out. If you don't like the doctor, find a new one. If you're going in with the attitude that you have to test them, trip them up, you're aggressive from the start. Sure, there are asshole doctors, and certainly, you deserve to see someone you are comfortable with. If i don't like a doctor, i will find another if it's going to be a long term thing.

I like my doctors - i have 3 that i see every three months, wish i didn't but that's ok. They are pleasant, dependable, two did fellowships in the US, and they are less expensive on a cash basis than similar docs in the US. When people complain about the cost of health care here, i tell them to look at the US. For serious illness, i've paid less out of pocket than i would have in the US without the shit you have to take from insurance. Meds cost about the same. And scans, chemo, radiation are less. OTC meds are a pain in the ass, true. I guess it depends on what you're used to. I know this isn't like the NHS or Canada, but i don't have any experience with those systems. So i guess we all judge based on our experience.

I

Exactly. Don't you find it strange you had two unprofessionals in a row?