USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Jul 28th 2006, 4:48 pm
#31
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Posts: 128
Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
The "new" (I didn't have to have one in '98 and I don't know when they changed) genital exam was one thing that made me initially decide not to move back to the US. On the Dive Into America (from UK) forum people post their medical stories and most have the genital exam. I have a huge issue with the US government requiring me to have my bits looked at so I can live in the country. I understand all the hoop jumping, but to me it's just humiliating... like how far will you go in your desperation to live here?!? Hmmm?!?
Jul 28th 2006, 5:38 pm
#32
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
[QUOTE=Englishmum]
Come to think of it in the examination room yesterday the floor was filthy.....I remember quiety pointing out to my husband that there were congealed/dried food stains on the floor. I wish I'd gone somewhere else but who knows what the other practices are like? The place we went to was in a middle-class area but I think the doctors are running a cheap-skate outfit.
Jerseygirl...you've got me worried now about having to go back for our MMRs next week.....
:scared:
To be honest, I wasn't horrified that the doc wanted to see my genitals - after all I've had a couple of kids so I've been poked and prodded by docs and nurses over the years - but I just thought it was a tad unusual, especially as my friend was appalled as she hadn't had to do that for her GC medical.
Arrange for your doctor to give you the MMR and make sure you get a record of it to give to the USCIS doctor. Did he give you the TB test? It is a requirement even if you have already had TB shots. Your doctor can do this too...it does not need to be the USCIS doctor but remember to get a record. Good Luck.
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
Come to think of it in the examination room yesterday the floor was filthy.....I remember quiety pointing out to my husband that there were congealed/dried food stains on the floor. I wish I'd gone somewhere else but who knows what the other practices are like? The place we went to was in a middle-class area but I think the doctors are running a cheap-skate outfit.
Jerseygirl...you've got me worried now about having to go back for our MMRs next week.....
:scared: To be honest, I wasn't horrified that the doc wanted to see my genitals - after all I've had a couple of kids so I've been poked and prodded by docs and nurses over the years - but I just thought it was a tad unusual, especially as my friend was appalled as she hadn't had to do that for her GC medical.
Last edited by Jerseygirl; Jul 28th 2006 at 5:46 pm.
Jul 28th 2006, 5:53 pm
#33
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
[QUOTE=Jerseygirl]
Arrange for your doctor to give you the MMR and make sure you get a record of it to give to the USCIS doctor. Did he give you the TB test? It is a requirement even if you have already had TB shots. Good Luck.
No we didn't get a TB test - we explained about having the BCG at school when we were teenagers so he sent us to a clinic down the road to have x-rays instead and the results will be sent to him.
Good idea about getting our own doc to do the MMR.....I was really unhappy about how dirty the floor was in the clinic yesterday....not keen on getting a jab there although he had already done a blood test on us, so will enquire this afternoon. Thanks.
Originally Posted by Englishmum
Arrange for your doctor to give you the MMR and make sure you get a record of it to give to the USCIS doctor. Did he give you the TB test? It is a requirement even if you have already had TB shots. Good Luck.
Good idea about getting our own doc to do the MMR.....I was really unhappy about how dirty the floor was in the clinic yesterday....not keen on getting a jab there although he had already done a blood test on us, so will enquire this afternoon. Thanks.
Jul 28th 2006, 5:57 pm
#34
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
[QUOTE=Englishmum]
No we didn't get a TB test - we explained about having the BCG at school when we were teenagers so he sent us to a clinic down the road to have x-rays instead and the results will be sent to him.
Good idea about getting our own doc to do the MMR.....I was really unhappy about how dirty the floor was in the clinic yesterday....not keen on getting a jab there although he had already done a blood test on us, so will enquire this afternoon. Thanks.
We had ex-rays too but still had to have the TB test....its done on the inside of the wrist. Might be worth getting that done and giving him the results. This was also discussed in the thread I mentioned previously, which was either in the UK or Oz forum. Your son would definitely require this to be done..I am assuming he was too young for the TB shot in the UK. If you have had the shot the test site becomes red and itchy.
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
No we didn't get a TB test - we explained about having the BCG at school when we were teenagers so he sent us to a clinic down the road to have x-rays instead and the results will be sent to him.
Good idea about getting our own doc to do the MMR.....I was really unhappy about how dirty the floor was in the clinic yesterday....not keen on getting a jab there although he had already done a blood test on us, so will enquire this afternoon. Thanks.
We had ex-rays too but still had to have the TB test....its done on the inside of the wrist. Might be worth getting that done and giving him the results. This was also discussed in the thread I mentioned previously, which was either in the UK or Oz forum. Your son would definitely require this to be done..I am assuming he was too young for the TB shot in the UK. If you have had the shot the test site becomes red and itchy.
Last edited by Jerseygirl; Jul 28th 2006 at 6:00 pm.
Jul 28th 2006, 6:08 pm
#35
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Originally Posted by Englishmum
We had an odd experience yesterday when we went for our medical exam for our green card application.
I chose a doctor from the 'approved' USCIS list and he sounded rather old when I made the apointment. When my husband and I got there he must have been at least 80 years old; I suspect that all he does is immigration medicals as his son also works in the same practice and concentrates on other medical matters.
It's too long-winded and difficult to get our medical records from England (the FHSA recalled them from our doctor and they're offsite in some storage facility. We would have to get our old surgery to request our records, get them sent from the storage facility to the FHSA and then back to the surgery, where a 'medically trained' staff member could forward our vaccination records to us). Fortunately I had a few boosters when I went to India so all I need is an MMR.
Anyway, after drawing some blood for the compulsory AIDS test, the doc asked my husband to leave the room and said he needed to see my genitals (!). He did call a nurse into the room and asked me to drop my knickers and raise my skirt....had a quick look - didn't touch - and I asked him why he needed to do this, was it to check that I was actually a female? He said it was to check that I didn't have a venereal disease (so why wouldn't this be obvious from the blood test then?).
He was going to do a 'cough and drop' test on my husband but he was on the verge of passing out after his blood was drawn so the doc just had a quick peer at his 'package' as well. We then went off to a diagnostic clinic to get X rays to show that our lungs are clear ($50 each).
We have to return next week for the MMRs....but the doc asked us to pay $370 on the spot for the two of us. He wouldn't take credit cards and it's just as well I'd been to the ATM earlier and had some cash with me...between us all we could raise was $300 and will pay the balance next week. I asked for a receipt.....and he bloody well wrote it out on a prescription!!!!
I'm sure that this is unethical (he certainly seems to be on a fiddle for tax). I asked my friend if she had to show her genitals for her green cards medical (hers was in Australia) and she was shocked when she heard about our experience. She says we should report him to the USCIS. My husband says 'look - at the end of the day we just want no hassle getting the green cards so what's the point'?
Comments?
I chose a doctor from the 'approved' USCIS list and he sounded rather old when I made the apointment. When my husband and I got there he must have been at least 80 years old; I suspect that all he does is immigration medicals as his son also works in the same practice and concentrates on other medical matters.
It's too long-winded and difficult to get our medical records from England (the FHSA recalled them from our doctor and they're offsite in some storage facility. We would have to get our old surgery to request our records, get them sent from the storage facility to the FHSA and then back to the surgery, where a 'medically trained' staff member could forward our vaccination records to us). Fortunately I had a few boosters when I went to India so all I need is an MMR.
Anyway, after drawing some blood for the compulsory AIDS test, the doc asked my husband to leave the room and said he needed to see my genitals (!). He did call a nurse into the room and asked me to drop my knickers and raise my skirt....had a quick look - didn't touch - and I asked him why he needed to do this, was it to check that I was actually a female? He said it was to check that I didn't have a venereal disease (so why wouldn't this be obvious from the blood test then?).
He was going to do a 'cough and drop' test on my husband but he was on the verge of passing out after his blood was drawn so the doc just had a quick peer at his 'package' as well. We then went off to a diagnostic clinic to get X rays to show that our lungs are clear ($50 each).
We have to return next week for the MMRs....but the doc asked us to pay $370 on the spot for the two of us. He wouldn't take credit cards and it's just as well I'd been to the ATM earlier and had some cash with me...between us all we could raise was $300 and will pay the balance next week. I asked for a receipt.....and he bloody well wrote it out on a prescription!!!!
I'm sure that this is unethical (he certainly seems to be on a fiddle for tax). I asked my friend if she had to show her genitals for her green cards medical (hers was in Australia) and she was shocked when she heard about our experience. She says we should report him to the USCIS. My husband says 'look - at the end of the day we just want no hassle getting the green cards so what's the point'?
Comments?
I've been reading this thread and thinking about this and I think having a man look at another man's dangly bits for 2 seconds is a bit of a different experience than it is for a woman. Especially if all your husband had to do was unzip his flies and that was it. Bit different for a woman to have to remove her underwear, get on a table, hike up her skirt , part her legs and have an 80 year old man take a butchers at her holy place.
If you want to lodge a complaint that this was unecessary and degrading go ahead, who cares what some form on the USCIS website says? If you feel like it was a humiliating experience for you, than let your voice be heard!
Jul 28th 2006, 6:16 pm
#36
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Originally Posted by Sarah
I've been reading this thread and thinking about this and I think having a man look at another man's dangly bits for 2 seconds is a bit of a different experience than it is for a woman. Especially if all your husband had to do was unzip his flies and that was it. Bit different for a woman to have to remove her underwear, get on a table, hike up her skirt , part her legs and have an 80 year old man take a butchers at her holy place.
If you want to lodge a complaint that this was unecessary and degrading go ahead, who cares what some form on the USCIS website says? If you feel like it was a humiliating experience for you, than let your voice be heard!
If you want to lodge a complaint that this was unecessary and degrading go ahead, who cares what some form on the USCIS website says? If you feel like it was a humiliating experience for you, than let your voice be heard!
In the UK if my male GP had to examine me he would always call in a female nurse or receptionist. This has never happened here...my male doctor has never had another female present when examining me.
Jul 28th 2006, 6:34 pm
#37
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Location: Russ: Vermont Jayne: was London, UK to VT
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
I saw Dr Phelan a few years back and he checked me bits with a nurse present too.
Jul 28th 2006, 7:39 pm
#38
UK & US Citizen
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 1,276
Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Originally Posted by Russ&Jayne
I saw Dr Phelan a few years back and he checked me bits with a nurse present too.
1. Draw blood
2. Chest X-Ray
3. Go see doctor, shirt off. Dr says breath in, breath out, asks if I am healthy, I say yes.
4. Doc says, "NEXT!"
That was it, pretty painless really
Jul 28th 2006, 7:50 pm
#39
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
In the UK if my male GP had to examine me he would always call in a female nurse or receptionist. This has never happened here...my male doctor has never had another female present when examining me.
That's surprising.....I thought they liked to have a (female) nurse present so they could avoid being accused of sexually molesting female patients...?
The nurse at our doctors' practice dissuaded me from having the MMR there.....apparently you need a titre test then have to go back about a week later for the jab...she was concerned that if the USCIS doc didn't do it, it could compromise our application.
Now it turns out that my bloody husband wimped out when he went to do the Tsunami relief last Summer in Sri Lanka.....the only jab he had was for Hepatitis A....didn't even have a tetanus booster.....I could murder him! He just can't cope with needles.....he really did collapse yesterday in that horrible clinic and the sweat (from fear) was running down his face and neck. Now the stupid buggar will have to have quite a few jabs now - or wait a few weeks for the NHS records to be tracked down in Essex.
Grrrrrrr!
On the other hand, maybe he will decide that we can move back to England or go on another expat posting somewhere else LOL!
Jul 28th 2006, 7:55 pm
#40
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Joined: Feb 2002
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
My husband had his annual medical yesterday. Well you should have heard him last night...he went on and on about how degrading it was having a man groping another man. Men eh......they don't have any idea.
Ha ha.....not far from where we live is a small clinic. It has a huge board outside the entrance with the doctor's name and large letters saying that he "Specialises In Diseases of the Rectum and Colon".....(isn't that what a Proctologist is?)
Imagine being a patient and having someone you know spotting you walking in or out of that clinic.... :scared:
Jul 28th 2006, 7:57 pm
#41
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
If you have already had the diseases, instead of having an MMR you can request a titer test from your primary carer. Some insurance companies cover it, I believe, but check just to make sure - and don't say it is for immigration purposes! The only reason I mention this is I had a really bad reaction to the MMR and the nurse who saw me said that it is very common for adults who have already had the diseases to react badly to the MMR. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has had measles, mumps and german measles.
When we had our GC exam it was with our own primary carer. They just so happened to do immigration medicals. Normally, they accept credit cards when visiting their surgery, but they made it very clear that they wanted cash or check made out to cash for our immigration medicals. Because we were already on record at this doctor's office, there were some parts of the forms that were just completed without us having to go through it all again.
When we had our GC exam it was with our own primary carer. They just so happened to do immigration medicals. Normally, they accept credit cards when visiting their surgery, but they made it very clear that they wanted cash or check made out to cash for our immigration medicals. Because we were already on record at this doctor's office, there were some parts of the forms that were just completed without us having to go through it all again.
Jul 28th 2006, 7:57 pm
#42
Blondie22
Joined: Nov 2005
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Originally Posted by Englishmum
On the other hand, maybe he will decide that we can move back to England or go on another expat posting somewhere else LOL!
Jul 28th 2006, 8:55 pm
#43
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Originally Posted by Ben
If you have already had the diseases, instead of having an MMR you can request a titer test from your primary carer. Some insurance companies cover it, I believe, but check just to make sure - and don't say it is for immigration purposes! The only reason I mention this is I had a really bad reaction to the MMR and the nurse who saw me said that it is very common for adults who have already had the diseases to react badly to the MMR. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has had measles, mumps and german measles.
Just remembered....when I was pregnant with my daughter they marked in large red letters on my records that I needed a rubella jab....they gave it to me at the six week check-up after she was born. Of course I have no record of that now....
Jul 28th 2006, 9:02 pm
#44
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Originally Posted by Englishmum
The nurse at our doctors' practice dissuaded me from having the MMR there.....apparently you need a titre test then have to go back about a week later for the jab...she was concerned that if the USCIS doc didn't do it, it could compromise our application.
Jul 28th 2006, 9:42 pm
#45
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Re: USCIS approved doctor - should I report him?
Sorry Englishmum...my husband doesn't remember whether we paid the USCIS doctor or if he sent the bill to Fragomens. If we paid him I don't know how...we don't usually carry much cash and never carry a cheque book.