The Plague

My students infected me with the plague. Seriously. I thought it best, for humanity’s sake, that I quarantine myself from the rest of the world, so I spent the past two weeks on my deathbed/in my bed watching movies and sleeping. Fortunately, and thanks to modern medicine, I survived. Although I had two very miserable weeks, I learned a valuable lesson about the French healthcare system. Important information for anyone living abroad, because a trip to the doctor’s in France is not the same as in the US.

Firstly, one must declare their general practitioner. This can be any doctor you want. I got the name of a doctor from one of the English teachers who lives in Hagondange. This was very convenient for me because his office is only a couple blocks from my apartment. But if I lived farther from the chosen doctor, I would probably have the option of having a house call. While this idea seems very outdated and odd to Americans, it can be very helpful for small children and elderly citizens.

Secondly, one does not have to make an appointment. I simply walked into the office and sat down to wait. I did not have to check in or fill out any paperwork. When it was my turn the doctor greeted me with a handshake and took me to his office. Upon entering the office I felt like I was stepping into someone’s study, not a doctor’s office. It did not seem sterile and cold, but cozy and inviting. There weren’t posters about high blood pressure or hearing loss, but oak bookshelves and personal photographs. The doctor pointed me to a soft leather hair, while he took a seat behind his antique walnut desk. As I sat down, I noticed that he was not wearing a white lab coat and stethoscope, but jeans and a sweater. He then proceeded to ask me what was wrong.

Thirdly, nothing is standard procedure or by the book. After I told the doctor my symptoms, he listened to my chest, looked at my throat and gave me four prescriptions. That was it. No strep test, no taking of the temperature, no explanation of his diagnosis. The French have a way of not telling you what’s going on. If you don’t ask, they don’t tell. This is especially difficult, if you don’t know what questions to ask or how to ask them. Fortunately for me, I have internet access and was able to google my prescriptions before I filled them. The doctor must have thought I had strep because he gave me an antibiotic that is commonly used to treat strep. I also went home with decongestive nose spray and pills for my migraine, which turned out to be ibuprofen. I was also prescribed a throat spray that I didn’t take. Besides wanting to know what the doctor thought I had, I wanted to know what I was taking twice daily with meals.

France has a great healthcare system. I was able to receive treatment for a very affordable price after living in the country for only a few months. But don’t forget that the system is run like a business and operates on the concept of supply and demand. There are a lot of doctors in France and patients can choose to receive care where they want. If they’re unhappy after a doctor’s visit, they simply don’t go back to that doctor. This gives the consumer lots of choices and a voice in their health, but also makes it difficult for the doctor to properly serve his or her patients. If the patient wants antibiotics, it’s in the doctor’s best interest to prescribe one, regardless if it’s in the patient’s best interest, because then the patient will be happy and most likely become a return customer. In other words, medication, especially antibiotics, is overprescribed, so know your symptoms and know what you’re consuming.

Lastly, a few helpful hints. One cannot get medicine from the pharmacy if it is between noon and 2 p.m., no matter how desperately one needs it. A fact I forgot until I stood outside the locked pharmacy door at 12:30 with a pounding headache. Also, make sure that you get reimbursement forms from the doctor and the pharmacy. French citizens get reimbursed automatically, so if the doctor and pharmacy don’t know you’re not French, they might not give you the forms. This usually isn’t a problem for me because of my accent, but if your French is good, just tell them and it’s not a problem. Going to the doctor in any country is not fun, but not near as bad as the plague.