Doctor's Exam Before K1 Interview (merged)

[Delilah8 0]

Hi,

I am American, and my fiance is Canadian.  We are at the point where they are checking her background and stuff out before setting her up for the interview.  She has a history of mental health issues (depression, etc.) and we want to do our best to show that she is not a risk.  Her doctor is prepared to write a letter stating that she is not a threat to anyone and has steadily improved, etc.  However, he wants to know exactly what the interviewers are looking for from him, so that he can write it the best he can. 

I am wondering if anyone has any advice on what would be good of him to write for us?  Or if anyone has a good government contact, such as an e-mail, that they could pass along?

Thank you very much!

Wayne

[Delilah8 0]

Hi,

My fiance will soon need to get the K1 doctor's exam done before her interview.  She is Canadian, and it seems that there are very few doctors that are licensed for it.  The biggest problem, though, is that they are all male doctors.  She doesn't feel comfortable with having it done with a male doctor.  I am wondering if anyone knows if there is a way around using a male doctor, or if anyone knows who we might ask about this?

Thank you!

Wayne

[Going through 5,671]

5 minutes ago, Delilah8 said:

Hi,

I am American, and my fiance is Canadian.  We are at the point where they are checking her background and stuff out before setting her up for the interview.  She has a history of mental health issues (depression, etc.) and we want to do our best to show that she is not a risk.  Her doctor is prepared to write a letter stating that she is not a threat to anyone and has steadily improved, etc.  However, he wants to know exactly what the interviewers are looking for from him, so that he can write it the best he can. 

I am wondering if anyone has any advice on what would be good of him to write for us?  Or if anyone has a good government contact, such as an e-mail, that they could pass along?

Thank you very much!

Wayne

While it's nice that her doctor is willing to write this letter....she's already done the K1 medical exam with one of the USCIS-authorized physicians, correct?  That's the info USCIS will mostly consider in terms of assessment of physical/mental health for the K1 beneficiary.  

[Going through 5,671]

If she cannot avoid seeing a male doctor, she can always ask that a female nurse/assistant be present in the room when she is making her appointment and see if they can accommodate her request. (not every doctor's office will/will be able to do this however).

 

 

P.S.:  you don't need to make a new thread for each separate question you have about the medical exam  

Edited January 25, 2018 by Going through

[MiraW 58]

These medical exams are almost always done with the doctor and a couple nurses next to them. I hope this doesn't sound sexist, but usually the nurses are female. It's very unlikely she'll have to be with a male doctor alone. 

 

[MiraW 58]

Just now, Going through said:

If she cannot avoid seeing a male doctor, she can always ask that a female nurse/assistant be present in the room when she is making her appointment and see if they can accommodate her request. (not every doctor's office will/will be able to do this however)

This is interesting to know. When I did my medical exam in NYC for my green card application, the clinic I went to actually told me they're required to have an assistant/nurse present? And I remember there were 2 nurses in the room with me and the doctor. I guess every practice is different.

[kat.cap13 233]

28 minutes ago, Delilah8 said:

Hi,

My fiance will soon need to get the K1 doctor's exam done before her interview.  She is Canadian, and it seems that there are very few doctors that are licensed for it.  The biggest problem, though, is that they are all male doctors.  She doesn't feel comfortable with having it done with a male doctor.  I am wondering if anyone knows if there is a way around using a male doctor, or if anyone knows who we might ask about this?

Thank you!

Wayne

Unfortunately there is no way around this. She'll need to use a doctor from the authorized list, which are all male.

 

I'm not sure where in Canada she is, but I had my medical examination done in Toronto with Lyndon Mascarenhas. It was a very simple medical exam. He asked basic medical questions, checked my blood pressure, took vaccination records, and sent me for a chest X-ray and lab work. I spent maybe 5 minutes with him. He was super nice and made me feel very comfortable. I'd highly recommend him.

[Going through 5,671]

22 minutes ago, MiraW said:

This is interesting to know. When I did my medical exam in NYC for my green card application, the clinic I went to actually told me they're required to have an assistant/nurse present? And I remember there were 2 nurses in the room with me and the doctor. I guess every practice is different.

I am in NYC as well....when I did my medical for the GC, I had a male doctor with no female present in the room (except me, of course lol).

Edited January 25, 2018 by Going through

[Ontarkie 14,445]

A male doctor only needs a female nurse when doing physicals (pap, breast exam) it's for safety on both sides. 

 

Your fiance will not be having that type of physical. I will let members who have recently had them give more details. I did mine moons ago so they may or may not still do what I went through. 

 

 

[Ontarkie 14,445]

~~Related threads merged. Please keep all related questions to one thread, it helps members having all the information in one spot.~~

~~Thread also moved to the Canada forum, from K1 P&P - as the Medical can vary from Country to Country.~~

[Delilah8 0]

Thank you for the responses, and sorry for the misuse of my posts.  I'm not very good at forums!

I should have been more clear: she has not had her K1 exam.  This is her regular doctor who would be writing a note as an added extra.  We thought that it would help in regards to the mental health stuff, because we've heard that you can be denied a visa because of depression.

 

We will certainly look at that doctor in Toronto then; he sounds very non-invasive.  Does anyone else have any recommendations for doctors?  Or recall what the process was for you, in as much detail as you can remember?  We are a bit anxious over the exam, as she never really saw doctors much in her life.

[Ontarkie 14,445]

The doctors note is a good idea. 

 

My exam was about 10 yrs ago. I will try to tell you how it went for the kids and I. 

 

The oldest and myself go with the nurse to do x-rays. I go first put a gown on top half only has to come off for this part and get x-ray go sit and wait for the doctor. He comes in sits behind his desk asks about of questions. Then after go to the table he listens to chest and heart asks a few more questions. Takes a very quick peak below the waist. That's it and is was so fast you really didn't have time to think about it. 

 

It was the same thing for the kids except the 3 younger were all together no x-rays. 

[acidrain 325]

I am finalizing the IR1/IR2 process and will complete my medical exam in Montreal in a couple weeks with Dr. Ilana Galperin who is a female doctor. She is located at the Medisys Montreal office. 

 

The Medisys office told me they need 4 business days to have the results ready for the interview. I opted for 5 business days as I didn't want to pick them up the same morning of the interview. I am not sure if Montreal is an option for you but I booked our trip to go a week and a half early. I opted for a Air B&B within walking distance of downtown and the consulate.

 

I was diagnosed with depression twice in the past and I asked the receptionist about that when I booked my appointment. I was told as I am not currently taking any medication and the event was more than 5 years ago I did not need a doctors letter. They would take my verbal statement of what my prognosis was and take note of the medications and duration of treatment. I know others have gotten a doctor letter specifying this information. If you have any questions I found the gentleman I spoke to extremely friendly and helpful. If the person was hospitalized I would think the physician would need additional information. I would call ahead and ask.

[NikLR 13,232]

It is always a good idea to have a doctor's note about recent depression, especially if you are on medication, stating their opinion on your mental health.  If they feel you are not a danger to yourself or others then that should be included. Pretty much that is what the panel physician is looking for.  Also the Canadian physicals are no longer invasive. They used to include a peek at gender but i believe that stopped some years ago.  Even in 2013 I wore a gown, undressed to the waist (but left bra on) and only had my stomach palpated (probably due to my c-section.)  

To be honest I never got people's reluctance about male drs. Ive found them to be in general more gentle in all aspects. 

[jle2234 68]

Like some others in the thread, I had my medical exam with a male doctor and no female present (I am female). The exam itself is very quick and non-invasive. If your fiancée is not comfortable with a male doctor, she should disclose this when she makes the appointment. The office likely has standard protocols for such things, as many women feel uncomfortable with a male doctor due to emotional, ethical, or other reasons.

 

I actually spoke to the doctor at my exam about what medical information immigration officers look for, as I have a neck injury that will require fairly major surgery in the future... I was worried that this would raise flags that I may end up on extended disability benefits, or something similar. The doctor told me it was nothing to worry about, and that they look primarily for threats to public health and safety: communicable diseases and potential violence. If you look at the tests they do, this seems pretty accurate (x-ray for TB, tests for STDs/STIs, vaccination records, etc.) I can't guarantee that the doctor's counseling was correct, but I did not have a single issue with my neck injury -- it never even came up at my interview. Based on what the doctor told me, I would recommend having your fiancée's doctor include a statement regarding her mental health and whether she has shown any signs of violence, aggression, etc.