Are there English-speaking doctors in San Miguel de Allende?

San Miguel de Allende sits on a mountain at 6,266 ft. above sea level. Anyone with a lung or heart condition may want to take that into consideration before moving here. Medications should be easy to find at the many farmacias (pharmacies) around the city.
 
There is a good clinic and general medical practitioner as well as specialists in town who for the most part will speak English. There are some small clinics and laboratories and two hospitals. The practice seems to be that...

San Miguel de Allende sits on a mountain at 6,266 ft. above sea level. Anyone with a lung or heart condition may want to take that into consideration before moving here. Medications should be easy to find at the many farmacias (pharmacies) around the city.
 
There is a good clinic and general medical practitioner as well as specialists in town who for the most part will speak English. There are some small clinics and laboratories and two hospitals. The practice seems to be that first you go to the lab for blood work; the panel will cost under $4 US. You don't need an appointment to see the doctor at the clinic; just take your copy of the blood panel with you. I don't think it costs much more then 350 pesos; which is about $19 US. Prescription meds are a lot less than in the US, too. For a while I needed to use an inhaler and it cost less than $14 dollars. 
 
The doctor at the clinic here is well known among the expats. “Dr. Handsome” is what they call him, I think. He speaks very good English and is married to a Brit. When I first moved here, I caught a bronchial infection and went to the clinic. Dr. Handsome was on vacation, so I saw his father who is also a physician. He did all the things I would expect; took my blood pressure, temperature and listened to my lungs. He prescribed some meds and away it went. The name of the clinic escapes me, but it is easy to find; on Hidalgo just down the street from the Jardin between Mesones and Insurgentes, on the left.
 
I love my dentist; she is great! She speaks perfect English, has a super modern computer for x-rays and she does not go overboard with all the injections like dentists do in the States. A teeth cleaning runs about $20 US. I needed a filling removed and replaced with a composite and that ran about $45 US. Okay, how about teeth whitening? Sure, I went for that too… $108 US total for 3 sessions. She'll even make trays for you for $22 US and sell you a tube of whitening gel for about $13.
 
There are plenty of plastic surgeons in town. If you want to do some rejuvenation, “youth-ing” all that is available and high-end skin care without a prescription, too.

 

(View of the lower elevation beneath the hilltop town from San Miguel Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

There are lots of English-speaking doctors in San Miguel de Allende. I have a client who became a friend. He is 74 years old and his wife is 96 years old. I sold their house for them and found them another property right outside of town in a community that has small homes, big homes, an assisted living area, and a dementia area.

 

He is ill and in the hospital so I went to see him and he understands everything that his doctor is saying to him. But we have an...

There are lots of English-speaking doctors in San Miguel de Allende. I have a client who became a friend. He is 74 years old and his wife is 96 years old. I sold their house for them and found them another property right outside of town in a community that has small homes, big homes, an assisted living area, and a dementia area.

 

He is ill and in the hospital so I went to see him and he understands everything that his doctor is saying to him. But we have an organization that has been here for almost a year now that is called Medical Advocacy Group, which is a wonderful organization. There are three women involved in this group and they are nurse practitioners, which is almost like being a doctor, and they are bilingual. I called the Medical Advocacy Group to have them come for my friend because they not only assist you in any language situations but they will also oversee your medical treatment. They don’t come in and approach the doctors as if to ask, “What are you doing?” They come in because they want to understand what’s going on and make sure that the patient understands clearly what’s going on. Many people here are single and it is a wonderful service for them. There is an hourly fee for that. They will come in and cover a 2 or 3-hour analysis, where they talk to all the doctors, look at the situation, and get back to you or inform someone significant.  For example, in my friend’s case, he has a housekeeper that is almost like family, and he has me. The Medical Advocacy Group are the only ones that really watch over them, to take the responsibility off of us and off of the patient being concerned if he is really getting proper medical treatment. That Medical Advocacy Group is a wonderful asset to our community. 

 

We also have many doctors who speak English. We are a huge expat community and have been since the 1950s. One of the reasons why I chose to move here after the medical experience that I had in Chiapas was because San Miguel de Allende is pretty close to the border and if you have to be medevaced out you can do so although we have good doctors here that I feel very comfortable working with. We are building a new hospital right on the hills still inside of town. This hospital is the equivalent of a four-star hospital where we will be able to do open heart surgeries. 

 

I just turned 65 years old so I had to decide what to do with my health insurance. I decided since I have Medicare in the States, to drop my international medical insurance because I felt comfortable enough with the ability to be stabilized by doctors here in San Miguel de Allende if I had to be medevaced out. I also feel comfortable enough with the fact that the stabilization procedure would not be too costly in comparison to not having additional insurance. 

 

I also chose to purchase SKYMED insurance for less than $300usd a year, which will medivac me to the city of my choice in the US.  Most medivac insurances are only to the “nearest” acceptable hospital for treatment.

 

Queretaro, which is about 45 minutes away from San Miguel de Allende by car, has amazing doctors, too. I just went for dental work there with doctors and I can’t even tell you how advanced they are with the work that they are doing.

 

(Pictured: The cafe at Los Labradores outside of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where there is an assisted living facility.)

 

 

There are English-speaking doctors in San Miguel de Allende. For example, I had to have some minor surgery, and the doctor I went to in San Miguel de Allende is Mexican but spoke English quite fluently. Obviously it was not his first language, so there was an accent there, but I had no difficulties understanding this doctor. I have also had a dentist in San Miguel de Allende for 4 years who speaks fluent English. He, too, is Mexican, and he referred me to a specialist for root canal in...

There are English-speaking doctors in San Miguel de Allende. For example, I had to have some minor surgery, and the doctor I went to in San Miguel de Allende is Mexican but spoke English quite fluently. Obviously it was not his first language, so there was an accent there, but I had no difficulties understanding this doctor. I have also had a dentist in San Miguel de Allende for 4 years who speaks fluent English. He, too, is Mexican, and he referred me to a specialist for root canal in April, who also spoke English, although not as fluently as my general dentist. 

 

There was never a moment that I was uncomfortable because I wasn’t sure of what was going on. My primary care physician here in San Miguel de Allende has an English-sounding name, but that was his mother’s last name. He’s Mexican too, and also speaks fluent English. Even the most important doctor I dealt with here, the veterinarian for my dear cat, spoke English quite fluently. 

 

I don’t think that finding an English-speaking doctor would be a problem for anyone in San Miguel de Allende. The hospital here in San Miguel de Allende has been upgrading in the 6 years that I’ve lived here. They have very strict standards now, and they have a new CEO and a new medical director who, interestingly enough, is a Mexican woman who speaks fluent English, of course. This is the private hospital, and the Americans in San Miguel de Allende go to that hospital, so the majority of their caseload in that hospital is from English speakers. 

 

The medical director of the local hospital in San Miguel de Allende recently told me they now have 45 specialists on staff, so any medical issue you have can be taken care of right here in this hospital. Four years ago, it was necessary to go to Leon or Querétaro, but it no longer is.  

 

(Hospital San Jose de Queretaro, Mexico, pictured.)

There are a lot of English speaking doctors in San Miguel de Allende; however, all the nurses, lab technicians, etc. might not.

 

So I’ve been wondering if people would be willing to hire a professional Healthcare Interpreter to assist them with the communication during the appointment, just to keep thing safe and make sure everything is understood.

 

 

There are a lot of English speaking doctors in San Miguel de Allende; however, all the nurses, lab technicians, etc. might not.

 

So I’ve been wondering if people would be willing to hire a professional Healthcare Interpreter to assist them with the communication during the appointment, just to keep thing safe and make sure everything is understood.

 

 

An English-speaking doctor is only one important factor to consider in terms of access to health care.

 

Other important things to consider ARE:

 

1. Finding a doctor that keeps medical records.

2. Does the doctor answer medical emergency calls 24 / 7?

3. Is the doctor credentialed at the local private hospitals?

4. Does the doctor have an extensive local referral network of doctor specialists?

 

...

An English-speaking doctor is only one important factor to consider in terms of access to health care.

 

Other important things to consider ARE:

 

1. Finding a doctor that keeps medical records.

2. Does the doctor answer medical emergency calls 24 / 7?

3. Is the doctor credentialed at the local private hospitals?

4. Does the doctor have an extensive local referral network of doctor specialists?

 

Understanding how health care works and what your coverage options are in Mexico are KEY.

 

We assist Expats with navigating the Mexican health care system & knowing the pros & cons of health coverage options.