Woking Medical Review

[zenaxe 22]

Good day - I had my medical examination complated at the Woking Medical Centre on Jun 16th and thought I'd post a review of the experience. I know how much I like to read other's reviews.

First off, I want to say that prior to the medical exam date, I had many questions that I emailed off to Woking and Laura (staff) consistently replied and answered all my questions. She was great and very helfpul. That was appreciated !!

I stayed with my sis and her family the previous night and they are about 45 minutes to an hour away from the core downtown area. The clinic is on Burrard St so that puts you smack in the middle of downtown Vancouver. I got my sorry butt out of bed at 4am,, got it together and left the house at 5:00am. Traffic was light and the trip was easy. There's a lot of construction going on Hwy 1.

I arrived at the building at approx 5:37am - prior to my trip I had checked it out on google maps so I could identify the building. And as per Wyatt's Torch's post and pms, I knew that there would be no signs identifying WOKING - the building is called the Burrard Medical Centre, you won't find any signs with Woking anywhere. Thanks Shaun !! As you turn into the buidling you'll see approx 6 stalls right there, try to grab one if you can. This is metered parking and you can pay with cash or credit cards ie visa , mastercard. The meter only starts working at 6am. I parked and waited it out. You can pay for the entire day for $12 and am told that this is likely the cheapest parking you'll find around there. You can pay up to double for the day or half day at other parking areas.

I got there to find a man in a van parked there. I got out of the car and went to view the parking meter. He rolled down his window and asked me if I was here for the medical re US visa and I confirmed I was. I asked him if he was a VJ member but he hadn't heard of the site. We got to chatting - good guy (Neil) !! A few minutes later a woman comes via cab asking if this was the right place and it turns out she was Meggymo on VJ !! It was great to find another VJr. The three of us talked about our experiences etc. Meggymo is doing a K1 - the other gentleman hired a lawyer to complete his process ($5000 bill - whew). He started off with a K 3 he said but was advised they 'dumped' that process and so now he's in the IR visa (married 12 yrs).

A few minute later a number of other people started to show up. The three of us primarily stayed together and formed a line along the side in order of our arrival - I was second. The doors to the clinic were still closed. A short while later staff showed up (turns out it was Laura !) and let everyone in asking people to go into the elevator to the 2nd floor and to keep in the order that we arrived at the clinic in order to get numbers. A bunch of us got into the elevator to the 2nd floor. This was around 6 30am.

Once in there, there are plenty of places to sit and the waiting room is comfortable. You do take a number according to how you arrived. Everyoone was really good and no one tried to overstep etc. Not that anyone of would allow that to happen anyway. We were given group instructions on how to complete the two forms - one form is a checklist with a medical history YES/NO kind of thing. If yes, you answer a bit more, if NO then proceed on to the next etc. The other is a consent form and they ask you to fill out the 4 areas to complete - they make sure you understand to fill out the 4 !! It was funny as they kept repeating to ensure that all 4 areas are completed. You have to actually write "I have read, understand and consent to ..blah blah - it's really simple and no one should have any problems. The staff are really helpful and nice. As well they have plenty of pens on hand so if you don't have one, no worries.

They also gave instructions on how to assemble the package for them ie complete the two forms, have your interview letter showing your case number, immunization schedule, any letters for your physician, and your 3 passport pics - you're asked to clip them (they provide the clip !) together with the pictures on top and all in your passport and bring them to reception. Once you do this, you go down the hall to have your blood work done. You are asked to bring the copy of the biometrics page of your passport We got there to find they weren't quite open 7:45am. We were told to go but staff at the blood work area said we had to wait until 7am. No biggie a few of us engaged in conversation. Once the doors opened they called numbers 1-7. I was #2 and MeggyMo was #3 - Neil #1. So we were asked to sit in one of the open chairs and to have your passport page copy ready for them. Staff were chatting and light hearted. Blood work took only a few minutes. I left after this and headed back into the main waiting room awaiting X Rays.

Again in order of numbers, you get called into X Rays and you're taken into a small area of the clinic. I didn't have to gown up because I wore a thin T shirt ha!! worked out great. Everyone else had to get into those lovely and very flattering gowns haha. You have a private little room to change. You remove your top clothing and for woman that includes removing your bra I believe. Again because I had a thin T shirt, I didnt have to wear a gown. I went into the room, stood against the equipment - they told me to push forward against some markings - did that. They nsapped the shot and said 'thanks'. Oh and I did remove my necklace as well and put in in my jeans prior to X ray. I left the X ray area then was told to go into a room to wait for the doctor. I was told to strip down to underwear.

The doctor came in a few minutes later - I don't recall her name unfortunately but she was very pleasant. She asked a few medical questions and also some chat about the relationship and our plans - this was just conversation so don't be paranoid lol. She checked my abdomen, listened to my lungs (had my inhale and exhale), ears, mouth, blood pressure - usual stuff. I had to also walk across the room - that was about 2.3 or 3 steps haha. After that she asked me to drop the underwear so she can check for hernias....so down they go and she' examines your boys and asks you to cough etc. All good. Then you are done with her and you get weighed and your height is taken. Ya I was heavier than I had hoped ugh. Time for this cowboy to hit the treadmill harder. I've been doing that for the last few weeks anyway so it's all good.

After all that, Neil, myself and MeggyMo thought gee it's 7:45am and we're done !! And hungry !! So now we had about 5 hours in between - results are ready around 1:30pm so Neil graciously offered to drive the van and find a place to have breakfast. We drove around the downtown area - MeggyMo is from Edmonton and had never been to Vancouver or BC so we went around Stanley Park etc - it was nice and she enjoyed the ride, as did I. I had been there just a few weeks before as my wife and her family were here, some never being to Canada so we went all over the place including Stanley Park.

We eventually went to White Spot for breakfast and chatted more about the visa experience etc. Neil is a private investigator - if anyone needs a private eye, PM me and I'll connect you with him !! He's moving to Washington and is very excited, MeggyMo to Iowa and myself to Arizona.

After breakfast MeggyMo wanted to return to her hotel so we dropped her off - Neil and I returned to the Burrard Medical building (around 11am or so) and talked about moving, truck rentals, life blah blah. It was really good to meet them both.

We hung out a bit on the street - Burrard is busy and there are always horns, cars, sirens, and people all over. Vancouver does have energy.

We eventually made our way back into the clinic for 1:30pm to get our results. They were a little delayed as the clinic was waiting on the lab results. Eventually, they called you by name so you could pick up your package. In the waiting room there were other VJrs, - I asked one woman if she was on VJ and she confirmed, then here and MeggyMo started conversing given that they were both doing the K1s. Others in the waiting room had other stories ie 6 year waiting for a son over 21 yrs old to come in. Neil was still waiting for case complete and was told by his lawyer that he should get an interview in August. MeggyMo had her interview (today - as I write this review Jun 17th). We had driven by the US consulate so she could see it.

Once your name is called you get your package. It's a very large brown envelope - one sealed white envelope with your name is stapled to the brown envelope (big env has your Xrays). We were told not to open anything sealed or it gets rejected and you start over - so don't open a thing. You also get another white envelope you can see, you get your vaccination records back etc.

And out the door you go !! I was out of there around 2pm etc.

Overall, this was a very good experience - staff were excellent and very friendly. The clinic does a great job explaining everying and are there to make your experience a positive one.

It's also a good opportunity to meet others, including other VJrs !! I'm glad I got approved and now just have to wait for the interview date July 27th...well that and listing my house and cleaning and seling and this and that hahaha ....

So to anyone about to have medicals, good luck and to those with medicals scheduled at Woking Medical, know you will have a very good experience !!

Take care !!

[canadian_wife 1,818]

Great review, you should post this in the Canada forum!

Good luck

[OBX 51]

Great review, you should post this in the Canada forum!

Good luck

For sure! What a great, detailed review. It will certainly be helpful to anyone doing their medical in Vancouver.

Good luck at your interview!

[zenaxe 22]

Thanks all. How do I move it to the Canada forum?

[OBX 51]

Thanks all. How do I move it to the Canada forum?

I think a moderator can move it for you.

[LoveRani 1]

Great job on the medical review Will be very helpful for other people. Mod should be able to move it!

[Married2009 32]

One more step completed!

[Darnell 8,478]

Move to Canada ? OK !!

*** moving to Canada Forum ***

[Jadenjewel 9]

Awesome review! Yes Vancouver has energy and a nice place to spend a couple of days or more! I think its good to know you can email with any questions you have too! Well not long till your through with this process! then you can be a resident alum on this site!

Hope the house sale goes well

[CAN2US 0]

Nice review, I hope someone posts a TO Medical Review soon =)

[TimandJoyce 1]

Good review, and glad you had a nice day to go to Stanley Park! When I was there last year, (in June) it poured! So I just went back to my hotel, dried out and slept!

[mooshoo 0]

Thanks for sharing your visit with us! I'm doing my medical exam with Woking Medical Services tomorrow, so this info is going to be very helpful for me.

[mooshoo 0]

I would also like to share my experience at Woking Medical Services (WMS), and here’s how my day went on Wed, June 23rd. At 4:15am, I got up and got ready. I arrived at Gateway Station at 5:00am, and since the first train leaves King George Station at 5:08am, I had plenty of time to get to downtown. Unfortunately, that morning, there was a glitch with the Skytrain so I didn’t board the train until 5:19am. Thankfully though, I got to Burrard Station at 5:53am (which was about a 30 mins ride). Caught the 22 McDonald bus and made it to WMS at 6:09am. By the way folks, the sign on the building say “Burrard Medical Building,” so I found the place fairly easy. (Thanks for mentioning that zenaxe).

When I arrived at WMS, I was 10th in line, and so I got my ticket number and sat down. There was already a bunch of folks ahead of me, and a couple mins later, more people began showing up. About 6:30am, Shelley, I believe (Laura was not in today), gave us instructions and asked us to complete two forms: the “I understand…” bit, and our medical history one. For the medical history, we only needed to complete question 1. Most importantly, she wanted to review our info at the top of the forms: name, birthdate, case number, etc. I completed the forms and assembled it together. Don’t remember the order exactly, but from what I recall it was: passport photo, immunization records, NVC letter, medical docs (only if you needed to provide them), and the two forms that we received earlier. Lastly, our passport was on the outside. I lined up to have Shelley review my docs, and once she okayed it, I went to get my blood test. By the way, keep your photocopy of the ID page of your passport; you’ll need it for the blood test.

Next, I went to get my blood test at BC Biomedical, which was across the hall. The lab assistant took my photocopy of the ID page of my passport, and took my blood test. Afterwards, I went back to the waiting room to be called in for X-Ray.

It was also pretty fast to get my X-Rays done. The first groups of people called were numbers 1-7, then 8-9, and finally 10-12 (group that I was in). Lab tech gave us each a gown and asked us to remove our clothes from our neck down and wear the gown. Once I completed the X-Ray, I went back to the waiting area for my physical exam.

I think that the longest wait was for the physical exam. Everything else was pretty quick, but as for the physical exam, it took quite a while. When my name was called, I was ecstatic that this was going to be over and done with soon. Shelley showed me to a room, and asked me to undress; however, I could leave my bra and underwear on for the physical exam. She gave me a wrap (felt almost like tissue paper) to cover myself. A few mins later, the doctor came in and began the physical exam. He took my blood pressure, listened to my breathing as I inhaled and exhaled, and checked my ears, mouth, and abdomen. During the process, the doctor asked me where I was moving to and what I did etc. The whole exam took about a few mins, and that was it, I was done with my physical exam. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to remove my undergarments and I was quite relieved about that I got dressed and met Shelley up front. Shelley asked me to follow this other lady (don’t remember her name) to the room behind the reception area so that I could have my height and weight measured. Plus, I also completed a vision test.

Lastly, I paid the bill and was asked to return back at 1:30pm to pick up the result. Overall the entire experience was quite a pleasant one. The staffs were friendly and made me felt comfortable about everything. I was glad that the entire process took only 2 hours and I was out of there by 8:40am.

Since I had many hours left before I could pick up the results, I walked to English Bay and spent some time there for awhile. For those of you who are not familiar with this area, it is beautiful. I simply love looking out into the ocean – the view is quite breathtaking. In July, there’s a Celebration of Lights competition every Wednesday and Saturday nights and the whole place is filled with people. Visitors to Vancouver need to check this place out when they can.

Around noon, I got lunch at Pita Fresh at Sinclair Centre. This place makes one of the best chicken shaerma around, and for those of you who enjoy good Mediterranean food (at a reasonable price) do give this place a try.

Anyways, around 1:00pm, I went back to WMS, and picked up my results. I received my results in a white envelope and it was stapled to my X-Ray (which was in a huge brown envelope). Shelley also gave me another envelope which contained my immunizations info, and this one was left opened, so I could review it. Yay! Now, I’ve completed my physical exam and on to the next step – my interview in Montreal on July 16th. I can’t wait!

Btw, just a friendly reminder for those of you who are planning to do their medical exam at WMS:

1. Be prepared – Have your immunization records, photos, etc complete. Do not show up unprepared and with missing items. This held up our line for awhile when some folks didn’t have all of the required docs.
   
2. Arrive early – Since it’s a first come, first serve basis, make sure to arrive as soon as you can.
   
3. Take your ticket number – I noticed that some folks arrived and went to sit down. They didn’t realize that they needed a number until after they saw others getting them. No sense in arriving early and not taking your number right
   

[cali321 1]

OH ######, 3 PASSPORT PHOTOS,

THAKN GOD I JUST READ YOUR REVIEW, I WAS GOING IN WITH 2 PASSPORTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU, I NEED TO REPHOTO, DAMN !

[raldetta 0]

I just had my medical done today at Woking Medical. Here are my complaints. Some of them have to do with Woking in particular, and some have to do with the immigration requirements in general.

1. I arrived at 6:30 on the nose and was 28th in line (last). I spent five hours in the clinic. FIVE HOURS. You can tell me it's my own fault for not showing up early, but someone is always going to be last in line and that is a totally unreasonable amount of time to sit around doing nothing, considering that the blood test and x-ray were done in minutes, and a huge majority of that time was waiting. Woking Medical says they can't stagger people (give us individual appointments) because of their contracts with the blood lab and xray clinics, but I think they'd find a way to make wait times more reasonable if they had ANY competition in Western Canada, which they don't.

2. The whole process seems to be geared for out of town people who are trying to squeeze their medical and interview in on the same day. While it's great that that is possible, it's pretty much a pain in the #### for anyone who lives in Vancouver. For example, it would be great if they would offer the skin test for TB as an option instead of getting a full chest x-ray. My best guess about why they don't is that the skin test results take 48 hours. However, my interview is a month away, and I have lots of time.

3. What is with doing an "eye exam" while I'm wearing my glasses? All this tests is whether my prescription is strong enough. Anyway, would a blind person be denied a visa?? Same goes for measuring my height and weight -- why?? Is there a minimum and maximum height for entering the US? What would it take to get denied here?? If none of this information is basis for denial, why are they taking it?

End of rant.