Review of Panel Physician Dr.Seiden in Toronto

[LisaNDakin 0]

Just wanted to post my experience this morning at Dr. Seiden's, because I found everyone else's reviews very helpful and hope I can do the same for others about to have their medicals.

I drove to Toronto this morning and arrived at Dr.Seiden's at about 7:10. I parked behind the building on Selby St. - which was $14 for the ~2 hours I stayed. When I walked around to the front of the building, there was one other man waiting outside. The front doors to the building were locked. He was attempting to use the intercom/pager system by the door to call up to suite 1400 to have someone come let us in, but there was no answer. There was a group of ladies smoking outside who were heading back in the building with their swipe-card access, but they said they could not let us in and we would have to wait for someone to come get us from upstairs... Eventually a very nice woman came outside and told us to get out our appointment letters. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THE LETTER YOU BRING HAS YOUR MONTREAL CASE # ON IT (I had a conversation with her about this and she said she has to turn away people who show up with a document that does not have their case #).

She brought us in the building and lead us up to the 14th floor. She took the man who was ahead of me straight into her office and directed me to the waiting room. About 5 minutes later, she called me into her office. I had to give her my passport, immunization record, 3 passport photos and $300 for the exam plus $50 for the courier service. She was very nice and we had a little small talk while I was signing the forms to consent to the exam. I was very careful to cut my passport photos to the correct 50mm x 50mm size, but one of the first things she did was cut the sides off the photos to fit onto the exam forms. Oh well! She handed me a sealed envelope to take to get my xray done (more on this below). I was then promptly taken into the exam room.

The attendant took my height, weight and blood pressure and then had me change into a paper gown. Dr.Seiden came in about 5 minutes after that and was very friendly! He looked in my mouth, listened to by back and chest with the stethoscope and copied my vaccine record onto his vaccine worksheet. He then asked me pretty standard questions about if I had any health issues, DUIs, depression, if I smoked, abused drugs, had any communicable diseases, was taking any medications, etc. Then he left the room and I waited about 10 minutes for the female attendant to come in and do a very quick peek under my gown to verify my gender. She apologized for the long wait, which I laughed at since it was not a long wait at all! I've waited longer than that at my family doctor!

She told me to get dressed and gave me a sheet of paper to take with me to the room where they take your blood (right beside the waiting room). The attendant in the bloodwork room was waiting for me when I got there and immediately got me prepped and took one vial of blood, and did a really good job with the needle, almost painless.

I was then directed to the front desk where the lady took my sheet of paper with the list of procedures I had performed and told me I was all set to go to my xray. I inquired if I could have an extra copy of the vaccine worksheet the doctor was working on because I've read that is needed for AOS, but she told me an extra copy would be sent for me in my courier package.

I then left the building and went around the corner to have my chest xray done. You have to hand the secretary at the front dest your sealed envelope. This place was honestly pretty disorganized. When I was called back to have my xray the lady asked for my passport and I signed a consent form for the exam (she didn't have a hard surface for me to write on so I ended up signing it on my lap). The xray was very quick and I left to drive home right after this! It was around 9 when I got back in the car, so just under 2 hours for the whole ordeal.

[tob187 11]

I paid 150 for everything no vaccinations just tb test and blood test that's it I had my vaccination card and the questions and blood pressure stuff and some questions

[Kat2011 2]

Thanks for sharing! My husband's appointment is next Wednesday at the same office and that's a great review for preparation.

Did you have all of your immunization records right away? My husband called the public health department, but they told him they shred records after age 18. He called his doctor, and they are looking into his former doctor's records just to see if they are around. If not, he'll have to get the antibody titers blood test for the MMR. Is that common?

Edited July 11, 2012 by Kat2011

[LisaNDakin 0]

Luckily I still had my little yellow immunization card with a history of all my vaccines on it. I went to my family doctor after our case went to NVC just to check my titres to see if there were any vaccinations I would need to have updated. It turned out that I needed my Hep A/B, chicken pox and MMR because I had lost immunity to those despite having all my childhood vaccinations.

In your case if he doesn't have any records of having his MMR shot previously, a blood titre would be the only way to test his immunity. The results from my blood titre took about a week to process at my local clinic, so it might be best if he was able to have this done promptly. There might be a shorter wait time in his area though. As soon as my results came in I was able to start my vaccinations with my family doctor and actually got the MMR and chicken pox shots only the day before my medical!

Maybe someone can comment how the process goes if you have blood titres done after your immigration medical? I do not have any experience with that.

Best of luck!

[VeeNDee 44]

Did you have all of your immunization records right away? My husband called the public health department, but they told him they shred records after age 18. He called his doctor, and they are looking into his former doctor's records just to see if they are around. If not, he'll have to get the antibody titers blood test for the MMR. Is that common?

I was also surprised to hear my public health nurse tell me they shredded my records since I'm older than 18 (I live in BC for reference). What?!? Why do they ask for immunization records when apparently no one keeps them for us. It's just annoying. Annoying, annoying, annoying. Anyway I went and got blood tests done for both MMR (I'm immune to mumps and rubella but not measles apparently... go figure) and varicella (confirmation I've had chicken pox) and the rest I am just piecing together from my mother's notes on pieces of paper that I found. Hopefully it's acceptable.

When they ask for your immunization record, I wonder if it's okay to hand them multiple pieces of paper instead of just one - since some will be my test results, some will be doctor's notes about recent shots (aka HepA and TDaP) and some will be pieced from my mother's notes. Well, whatever, if it's not ok guess I'll just find out because that's all I've got. Thanks public health

[Kat2011 2]

Thank you, LisaNDakin!

I was also surprised to hear my public health nurse tell me they shredded my records since I'm older than 18 (I live in BC for reference). What?!? Why do they ask for immunization records when apparently no one keeps them for us. It's just annoying. Annoying, annoying, annoying. Anyway I went and got blood tests done for both MMR (I'm immune to mumps and rubella but not measles apparently... go figure) and varicella (confirmation I've had chicken pox) and the rest I am just piecing together from my mother's notes on pieces of paper that I found. Hopefully it's acceptable.

When they ask for your immunization record, I wonder if it's okay to hand them multiple pieces of paper instead of just one - since some will be my test results, some will be doctor's notes about recent shots (aka HepA and TDaP) and some will be pieced from my mother's notes. Well, whatever, if it's not ok guess I'll just find out because that's all I've got. Thanks public health

I guess you can't keep all records? You would think they would have a repository somewhere, though... My husband's in Ontario, so I guess that's just standard practice.

The doctor did find multiple records, fortunately, and he'll be given an antibody titers test for one of them. I think he'll be doing the same handing them multiple papers. After reading up on it, I don't think they care as long as you have the record of the immunization.

Best of luck to you as well!