Reviewed September 2006
Prescription information
If you are confused about trying to find a medication here in Mexico, try these 2 sites:
Gen. Practitioner - Emergency Surgeon
DavidBodwell - 02 Dec 2003 I, among many others, highly recommend Dr. Levid Torres. He's not only perfectly bilingual but almost completely bicultural. He ran the ER at Sharp's Hospital for a number of years. He is REALLY a good doctor who keeps up-to-date on everything. He's located at Carnaval # 1611 Suite # 1, phone 981-0855. I, and my family, go to him FIRST for practically any medical problem.
Opthamologist - Eye surgery
I recommend Dr. Edgar Echeverria. I haven't had any eye surgery, but when I need an opthamologist for anything I always go see him. He speaks very good English and I've never had to go back a second time for any problem I or my family has seen him about. He also does all kinds of laser eye surgeries and proceedures. He's located in the small shopping center just south of (behind) the BaNorte building on the corner where you turn off Rafael Buelna to go to Sharp's Hospital (or Sam's Club). His office is in the suite "Humana Rehabitación", phone 983-2320. / DavidBodwell Apr. 22, 2006
Daniel Ochoa in the Sharp polimedica building. Tel - 9864053. He consutls every Friday in Mazatlan. He is highly regarded in Mexico.
I recently had surgery done here in Mazatlan for cataracts. I had one eye done followed in two weeks by the second eye.
Dr. L. Wonjoy Figueroa Wong does surgery for cataracts. Tel - 669 981 00 75.
===Acuputure Rosa Maria Gomez Alvarez, SEXTO SOL, Carnaval 23-B Centro, Phone number: 981-52-43
Endocrinologist
DavidBodwell - 06 Dec 2003 I have seen Dra. Elena Guerra for over 10 years. She is very good. The only drawback is that her spoken English is poor. She reads English just fine. She is located at Juan Carrasco # 817 (about 2 1/2 blocks north of the stoplight at Gutierrez Najera - the Fisherman's Monument street) upstairs, phone 985-5407.
Allergist
Dr. Saul Urias Martinez - 044 669 918 1425 (his cell, must dial all the #s) orhis home 981-3889
Looking for a doctor or hospital?
This list of doctors and hospitals was compiled from postings over the past year. I personally have no experience with any of the doctors or facilities listed.
Hospitals
I also had an excellent experience when my son came down with a bad ear infection last december. We took him to /SHARP HOSPITAL/and we had no wait in Emerg and the staff was excellent. We had travel insurance and they still only charged a total of 230 pesos for the visit. Sharp Hospital is an american owned hospital and has a very nice facility built in the mid 1990's.
While on vacation in Mazatlan, we got our flu shot at Centro de Salud. No charge. You have to go there from 00 to 00 a.m. and get a number. We only waited about 45 minutes.
He offered us the choice of *Provedencia*downtown or Sharp in the GZ - we opted for the closest - Provedencia. The place is old/dated but spotless and the care was great. Private room, TV and meals. All his scans, meds, room, lab, etc. came to about $6,400 pesos for 2 nights-3 days.
I hauled him off to the closest one, which was the Military Hospital and they were most kind to direct us right up to the emergency room door with the car.
Also the HIGHEST OF RECOMMENDATIONS for the MILITARY HOSPITAL In Olas Altas, from many close personal friend sources.
Doctors
Can anyone recommend an ophthalmologist? Dr. Echeverria whose office is in the BaNorte building on Rafael Buelna.
Dr. Miguel Guzman came to our home to examine him and placed him in the hospital immediately. 981-2587.
I can highly recommend both Dra. Rosi and Dra. Angeles Cervantes, both M.D. doctors highly Educated in Mexico City, but Holistic Health Healers on many Levels. Dra. Rosi is 100% bilingual - her English is near perfect. Dra. Angeles's English is less, but adequate (she was one of my Private English students for some years). Dra. Angeles also specializes In Acupuncture, and they both deal with many branches of holistic Health and healing.
Anna Chang is a first-class plastic surgeon. Correct e-mail and phones. mailto: mailto: mailto: mailto: mailto: mailto:drachang@yahoo.com.mx mailto: mailto: mailto: mailto: mailto: mailto:annachangmd@mazatlan.com.mx office: 9830214 cel : 044 6699120351 home : 913 9984 (mainly at night or for emergency)
I have a great cardiologist for you. Dr. Abraham Pacheco Ureña. His office is in the Polimedico building near Sharp Hospital 986-4644, cell: 044-669-9198311
I would highly recommend the pharmacist I use in Centro, on the street behind the Cathedral. La Nueva Farmacia is owned by Dr. Luis (don't remember his last name) and he speaks perfect English. Tel: 981-2607
Many of us Gringo's are so very thankful for Nurse Carol from Canada available to assist us from Octish to Mayish. 0446699294211.
Dr. Alberto Donnadieu, Carnival 1611 Suite 3 Centro. Excellent, speaks English. Had a friend go to him and they were very impressed with him. 982-0186 Office, or 982-2597 Home 916-0991. I can highly recommend cardiologist Dr. Abraham Pacheco. His office is located at Polimedica Building, next to Sharp Hospital, his phone number is 9903011
When there were events at the palapa on Isla Mazatlan I met a dermatoligist who came out to educate the people living on their boats about skin care....she gave great information on preventative care for your skin....she does full body checks and her prices are reasonable....her name is Dra. Aida Lopez she is located on av. Rafael Buelna 300-1(block closest to where you drive thru to pay your electric bill) tel is 9-841507. She speaks and understands a moderate level of english....although i am not sure if her secretary does. She just happens to be married to a Doctor who i would also highly recommend...as he has helped me out a couple of times when those intestinal disorders decided to call.....his name Ricardo Huerta Figuroa and you can reach him at same number...or by e-mail.. mailto: mailto: mailto: mailto: drhuerta@yahoo.com *
Blood work can be obtained at the Provedencia Hospital downtown. Dr Daniel Osuna does the testing and also speaks English.
Bariatric Surgery - contact Dr. Enrique Tirado or this brother, Dr Raul Tirado through - Dr. Marco A. Alvarez-ArrazolaDiagnostic RadiologistUnidad de Radiologia Clinicamarco @ radiologiaclinica.com.mx
Medical Oxygen
If you need oxygen delivered on a regular basis, here are 3 sources. PRAXAIR, Ing. Carlos E. Del Valle A. Phones: 981-5355, 981-4757, 981-5757.
AGA Carrt. Internacional Sur Km 1192 Mazatlán. Phone: 01669849577
Infra Medical Oxigeno Adeess Puerto de Ensanada Lote 3 Manzana 5 Parque Industrial Alfredo V Bonffil Mazatlán. Phone 016699813294.
DavidShafer October 04, 2005
Physician Training in Mexico
The information provided below was posted with the permission of Dr. Alvarez.
As a local (Mazatleco) physician trained both in Mexico and the US I find that there is a lack of knowledge in the way Medical training is achieved here in Mexico.
As almost everywhere in the world, getting accepted in a prestigious Medical School is hard. Candidates often need to go through several examinations and in some cases even trough an extensive and selective interview program. This is particularly true where I trained (Tec de Monterrey's School of Medicine).
In Mexico we do start medical training right after high school. I must accept that I find this too early, specially compared to my colleges in the US that have to go through 4 years of premed.
Medical School in Mexico takes from 5 to 6 years(depending on the School). The last phase of undergraduate medical training here is called Internship (in the US the Internship follows undergraduate medical training) and lasts from 1 to 2 years depending on the school.
After the undergraduate medical training, physicians must serve a year working for the Mexican Health Care agency. This is called "servicio social" (community service). Most of us work in rural villages and small community hospitals.
Following this 7 years (in some schools it takes 6 years) you are a M.D. If you want to pursue further formal medical training (residency) you have to take the "Examen Nacional para Residencias Medicas". This is a yearly examination in which you compete for a spot with all the physicians taking that exam in the country. This is a highly competitive test as every year there are at least 5 times more applicants that residency spots. In 2004, 21643 physicians took the exam for 3908 residency spots through Mexico. ( http://enarm.cifrhs.org.mx/FOLLETOCAPI.htm /kwiki/plugin/foreignlinkglyphs/foreignlinkglyph.png )
If you are one on the top list you take 3 to 5 years of residency, depending on the area. Fellowships follow residency and last from 1 to 3 years.
In the past 10 years care (and legal locks) have been taken so that newly grads from Residency and Fellowships take the Board Examination (for each medical specialty) when they finish a Residency. This must be renewed every 5 years (some specialties vary the rule) and you must prove Continuous Medical Education (CME).
Here in Mazatlán there is a new generation of physicians who work in team, are very well trained, are board certified and regularly lecture in National and International Medical Congresses. In my particular case I went trough 6 years of undergraduate Medical Training at Tec de Monterrey. The last 2 years were completely at a Hospital setting at the Hospital San Jose-Tec de Monterrey and at the Baylor College of Medicine (Methodist, VA and Harris County Hospitals in Houston TX). My social service was in a rural community and a Small rural hospital in Nuevo Leon State. After this I pursued 4 years of Diagnostic Imaging Residency (Radiology) and a year of Fellowship in Musculoskeletal Radiology at the University of Louisiana in New Orleans. 12 years of formal Medical education bumper to bumper. I am board certified, member of the Radiological Society of North America, European College of Radiology and have lectured in major Medical Congresses in Mexico, US and Canada.
I am not blind, and must accept that there are some physicians, both in Mexico and the U.S., that are money driven and lack of the basic moral values and even worse sometimes they do not even have the proper training. This is a problem that Medicine is facing around the world as technology evolves and humanism faces a severe crisis.
Here in Mazatlán, in the local Medical Association we are working to fulfill the special medical needs of your large and growing community (even my wife is from Maine) and as Dr. Mock said before, I do hope that this clarifies the vision of the group on Medical training in Mexico.