Medical experience in VITA/Greenberg Clinics - Sofia, BULGARIA

[Chris Me lil D 17]

Dear folks,

I decided to start this thread in order to help future Bulgarian beneficiaries with passing their medical for the interview, no matter if it's a DVP Green card, K-1, K-3, CR-1 or IR-1 visa.

Before your interview you will need to get a medical exam at one of two places in Sofia. The only clinics that provide the exams are:

VITA and GREENBERG

Contact information:

VITA

Company Name Multiprofile hospital for active treatment "VITA"

Telephones (02) 960-49-50; 943-43-98

E-mail vita@vita.bg

Address 9, Dragovitza street, Sofia 1505

GREENBERG

Company Name Diagnostic and Consultative Medical Center "Dr. I. S. Greenberg"

Contact Person Ellen Greenberg Ph.D.

Position Director

PR Director Ellen Greenberg Ph.D.

HR Director Ellen Greenberg Ph.D.

Telephone 098-776-811; 974-4816

E-mail Egreenberg@mbox.cit.bg

Address 25th Policlinic, 1st Floor, Wing C, Mladost 3, Sofia

Prices: http://bulgaria.usembassy.gov/clinics.html

Required Tests: ________________VITA___________GREENBERG

Chest X-ray and radiology consult_____$15__________________$15

Serological test for syphilis___________$ 9___________________$ 9

HIV test__________________________$17__________________$16

Physical examination _______________$37__________________$34

TOTAL:__________________________$78__________________$74

Vaccines:

Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis_______$4___________________$4

Measles, rubella and mumps__________$21__________________$20

Polio_____________________________$12__________________$12

Hepatitis A________________________$42__________________$41

Hepatitis B________________________$28__________________$27

Haemophylus influenza type B_________$17__________________$17

Pneumococcal_____________________$26__________________$24

Influenza_________________________$12__________________$12

Human Papilomavirus_______________$190_________________$189

Meningococcal_____________________$23__________________$24

Rotavirus_________________________$98__________________$96

All Immigrant visa applicants must submit 3 (three) passport-size photos at the clinic.

If you have your vaccine records then you should bring them with you to the exam to assist the doctor in deciding what vaccines you need.

The doctor will take an x-ray of your chest (which you will take with you to the interview AND on the plane in your hands through customs).

The doctor will give you the shots that you need and a regular medical exam.

The total price will vary. It is possible that if you are a woman under 25 that you will have to get the HPV vaccine that costs a lot.

This one is the most expensive. So it is best to be prepared to pay more if necessary.

At the end of the exam the doctor will give you an envelope with your vaccine and medical record inside that you will give to the officer at the embassy.

DO NOT OPEN this envelope even after it is given back to you with your passport in the mail after the interview.

I hope all current and future members will be active in this thread and will share their personal experience with us :thumbs:

[John&Desi 3]

Thanks a lot for this treat Chris and Ani Did you have your medical already? I'm still waiting for our approval and I believe this treat and your experience will be very helpful for me to prepare for what i need to do after we get approved.

[Chris Me lil D 17]

Thanks a lot for this treat Chris and Ani Did you have your medical already? I'm still waiting for our approval and I believe this treat and your experience will be very helpful for me to prepare for what i need to do after we get approved.

I will have my medical in few days, next Mon... Hope your approval is coming soon

Just found out from Shad and Dani that Greenberg has changed their address in March 09.

The new address is:

80 Aleksandar Malinov Str, Mladost 2, Sofia

and a new telephone number: 02/9744933

Hope Shad and Dani will leave their review soon

[John&Desi 3]

thanks for the update. are you having your medical there?

[Chris Me lil D 17]

thanks for the update. are you having your medical there?

nope, i'm gonna have it in VITA for other reasons...

when clinics do the required tests for T.pallidum, HBV and HIV, Greenberg does not accept them from any other lab. they should be done at Greenberg. While VITA accepts them from any other lab only if results are in English. I've had these tests done already due to my pregnancy, so I wouldn't like to pay another extra $25 for them. although you wait longer at VITA for results and stuff is not as friendly as at Greenberg

[David & Hristina 2]

Wonderful!

I'm so glad there's actually a Bulgarian thread!

My wife will be happy to share her experience, once she comes back from her visit to Sofia. I'm so jealous I couldn't go with her because of deadlines at work.... I love Bulgaria!! -I love it even better when it's not vacation time(August), much easier to visit the tourist spots!

[noneyabuz 1]

hey guys, just wanted to share our experience with the medical exam...

the medical was scheduled for 8:30am for greenbrug doctors office. we got there at 8:15, they told us to wait and drink a coffee if we like...at exactly 8:30 they told my husband to put his documents on the table, and they asked him his birthday....5 min later they took him back into a room, took an x-ray, and took some blood...around 8:45 he was done. they told him to come back at 10:00am.

we got there again 15 min early so we waited until exactly 10....they took him back checked his breathing, eyes, throat and pushed on his stomach asked if it hurt...then they asked if he had previous surgery if he smoked if he had any tattoos and just some other general questions.... then another doc came and gave him the 2 vaccines he needed. he was done around 10:40. then he went to the front payed $99, they gave him his enveople and x-ray and a copy of his results (which they told him to make 2 copies of for the usa border if they want more) and that was it. all in all the whole medical was bout an hour without the waiting.

the doc office was pretty nice and not busy at all, about 5 other people there. the only thing was the place was hidden in the back of another building so it took us awhile to find it, the taxi driver didnt even know where it was!! lol well i wish everyone a smooth interview and medical exam for those who r still waiting!!!!

[just_friend 2]

Hello everyone. I got my medical done in Greenberg. They were very professional, kind and polite. It was a little strange to find it but on the boulevard (Al. Malinov) there is a huge sign with an arrow pointing at the right direction. There was construction going on around so it was a little hidden My attorney told me to make sure i have a copy of my medical record (with the vaccines) for future reference and I didn't even had to ask. They knew the procedure pretty well.

Without trying to give any bad feedback I know a girl who did her medical in Vita and they didn't give her a copy of that vaccination record and we need it for the AOS process. So just make sure you ask for it.

If any of you who are going trough the process have any questions I will be happy to help.

Good luck

[Shad and Dani 3]

Hey, everyone,

Just wanted to share with you how my medical went at the Greenberg center two days ago.

I found the place pretty quickly. Yes, there are a couple signs and the entrance is in the back. The clinic itself is on the second floor. I liked the atmosphere and people's attitude. I scheduled my appointment a week earlier. It was for 8.30. It took them some time to go through all the documents and some procedures and around 9 I had some blood taken (from my finger instead from a vein, which was a bit strange to me) and I had the X-ray. I had to wait until 11 to see a doctor. The examination was very quick and painless. The doctor checked my eyes, my breathing and heart and my stomach. She had a few additional questions: Do you smoke? Do you drink? Have you had any surgeries?. Then it was time for the vaccines.

I was prepared to pay for all of them if I had to so make sure you have enough cash because they don't accept credit or debit cards there. It's best if you bring all the medical records of any vaccinations that you have had and basically everything about your health. It will only help the doctors and make the whole process very simple. It turned out I needed two shots - tetanus and for HPV (as they explained me the second one is required for all girls and women between 11 and 26 years of age). Everything cost me about 373 leva and 4 hours all together. They sealed all the medical documents in an envelope which I will bring to my interview on Monday along with the X-ray. It's important to ask for a copy of the vaccination chart because you will need it later on when you get to the States. They told me I will need the X-ray too.

That's all. Wish me luck on Monday!

[Chris Me lil D 17]

I'm glad some people took the time to leave a feedback about their medical exams. I'm having mine in 2 days, and my interview in 3 days. I need all the luck in the world for me and my baby Of course, give it first to Dani (and Shad) as she has the interview a day before me Can't wait to meet you there for a cup of coffee

[John&Desi 3]

Good luck to both of you girls The information you proved here is very helpful and it's encouraging to hear that everything's going smooth. I'll be happy to hear about your experience at the embassy too

Once again good luck !!!

[Shad and Dani 3]

Wonderful!

I'm so glad there's actually a Bulgarian thread!

My wife will be happy to share her experience, once she comes back from her visit to Sofia. I'm so jealous I couldn't go with her because of deadlines at work.... I love Bulgaria!! -I love it even better when it's not vacation time(August), much easier to visit the tourist spots!

Sofia is great! But Sozopol is better!

[Chris Me lil D 17]

Alright, it's been about two weeks since my medical exam passed, and I never had the chance to leave my feedback until now...

I was planning on doing the medical in Greenberg just because I found their staff more friendly than the VITA one. But circumstances made me change my mind! Why? Because in VITA you could bring your blood test results for HIV, AIDS and syphilis to VITA if they are done not more than a month prior to the interview date, and only if they were in English. Well, I had them done in a cheaper lab for about 28 leva, but unfortunately by the time I had to go to the interview I could not find the main doctor from that lab give them to me in English. So, I had to redo the blood test again. The other thing was that in VITA they accept credit cards, and if you're pregnant (like I was) they don't force you to do the x-ray, while in Greenberg I had to do it no matter.

So, I went to VITA that morning and my medical was scheduled for 9.30 am. The girl at the reception desk asked me for my name, then she gave me a little note to follow all the steps to go to different cabinets after.

First I had to go to the parter floor for a blood test. That was placed in the basement (on the left from the stairs) and it said "Microbiology" on the door. I got in there and gave the lab nurse the blanks I got from the reception desk. Then she took blood out of my veins. I have to tell you, if someone (like me) is getting panicked and scared of needles and blood and their veins are hard to find, the needles they use there are so big, and it makes it hurt... my blood wouldn't leek for about 30 seconds but the girl kept pushing and pushing and I had to tell her it hurts a lot otherwise I would faint.

Then, after blood was taken, I had to go on the second floor to visit Otho-rhino-laryngologist (Med.office #5). He looked at my ears, nose and throat, wrote a note and gave it to me.

Then, I went to med.office #8 to visit the Internist. She asked me for my medical passport, my immunization passport, 2 pictures passport size (it turned out it wouldn't matter if they were BG size or USA size, they were just for a proof of identification). She asked me to take off my clothes, weighted my weight, listened to my pulse, then my blood pressure, listened to my breathing front and back, pushed my belly harder although I warned her I'm pregnant, then... as they were missing the Oculist that day, she checked my eye-vision instead, and after that she started filling my paperwork. It turned out I didn't have a vaccine for Tetanus checked as done in my immunization passport. So, after I left her office I had to go back to my private doctor from few years ago when I was still living in Sofia, BG. And she told me to be back by 2 pm. By plan I was supposed to have x-ray done as well but mine was waved due to my pregnancy. It was 10.30 am at the time I left the clinic.

So, I went to the DCZ where my primary doctor used to be, and found out that he died 1/2 a year ago, and he left the job 2 years before that not leaving any archive with him. I was so pissed because there was no other way to get a note from anywhere that I had that shot done 4 years ago, except his word and his paperwork. Unfortunately, my medical record on file with him was all gone with him. It's a shame that the so called dji-pi doctors don't report such an important info to NOI or NRCZ

Anyway, the nurse who was working in the med.office of my former primary doctor was someone I knew from my past. So she asked the doctor who was working with her to write on a small medical note that I've had this shot done in 2004 by this and this doctor. And that's how my problem was resolved.

I went back to VITA at 2 pm. I gave the note with the vaccine info to the receptionist who afterwards gave it to the Internist who had to finish my paperwork. I got my medical package back at 2.30 with an extra vaccine record sheet for my own records for USA. I got from VITA a big white package which I had to give to the Council at the embassy the next day of my interview. I paid about 78 leva for all that (paid with CC - $63.02 as it states on my CC report) and left VITA, just to go and meet Dani (and Shad) after her interview... which was successful of course

[HappyPapa 0]

Thank you.

I'll make a note of it and let my wife know.

We're currently stateside and with no architecture work in BG for me, and no money, we're stuck here without anything but an over-stayed visa.

We'll have to probably apply here for a COS and get her medical at some point.

I sure hope that things change with the current economy for families who come from worse off places back to the USA.

If we had had to stay, well... I dread to think of it right now.

But if we go back before paperwork here, this information will be quite nice to have, so I really appreciate it!!! Navigating these kinds of waters over there

can be quite a pain!

[whattwhat 0]

Hi everyone. I would be very grateful if you let me know how long are the medical certificates from each of the clinics valid for. The validity of the immigration visa that immigrants receive depends on the validity of the medical certificate. So yeah, I have already done the examination with Greenbeg, but I think their certificate is valid for only 1 month. I am not sure about this, though. So for how long are the medical certificates valid for from both of the clinics? Thank you very much and have a wonderful day!