Out of the norm question about medical care.

[uncleboo]

hi that is like asking can i go into the kitchen and cook on the ship

 

LEGAL LIABILITY

 

will not be allowed

 

if you get sick and your friends help you advise you who is a dr that is fine

 

i have been to the dr on the ship. not a good idea at all

they come from other countries do not speak english well at all

[kcwingwalker]

hi that is like asking can i go into the kitchen and cook on the ship

 

LEGAL LIABILITY

 

will not be allowed

 

if you get sick and your friends help you advise you who is a dr that is fine

 

i have been to the dr on the ship. not a good idea at all

they come from other countries do not speak english well at all

 

The NCL doctors and staff I encountered all spoke English extremely well and were more than competent and certainly compassionate.

 

I don't expect a cruise ship physician and staff to be ready to preform a heart transplant, but I do expect them to competently handle an emergency and that's exactly what they did.

[Medtech2]

Licensure in Virginia is good anywhere in that state, but not others...unless there was a reciprocal agreement between Virginia and another state.

[DaisyGoldberg]

Best of both worlds -- your friend can accompany you as your friend, and as a physician can be ready to step in to tell you to refuse a treatment that might not be in your best interest. (I'm thinking not so much of a shipboard doc, but if you were evacuated to a local hospital in an emergency.)

 

Generally speaking, the most common sort of things that are likely to send you to seek medical care on board aren't anything that there need be a turf war over.

[Medtech2]

Practicing in Virginia is a whole different story. Would she also be able to practice out of state, or out of the country which essentially a cruise ship is? Probably not likely. IF out of state were allowed, believe me, there would be an extensive verification check done prior to any privileges. Fraud and stolen identity is a very real problem.

On the flip side, our insurance would not cover care by the ship's doctor because he wasn't licensed in our state...at least that was the excuse they gave us when they denied the claim. It wasn't enough money for me to fight it at the time...

[roger001]

Trip insurance?

[ColinIllinois]

Every cruise I am accompanied by my own personal Psychotherapist: Dr. Jose Cuervo :D

[steveokla]

"Just dont get sick or injured, and it will not be an issue. Also, I am a minister. I hate it when I go someplace on vacation and people ask me to pray. I am not working. I am on vacation. So are your friends."

WOW...Did I just read that right...Is this a "I'm only a minister when I have to be statement?" All I can say is I am SOOOO glad you're not my minister!!! I'm sure if there was a collection plate to be passed around the prayers would be flowing freely! LOL

[chloemonkey]

The NCL doctors and staff I encountered all spoke English extremely well and were more than competent and certainly compassionate.

 

I don't expect a cruise ship physician and staff to be ready to preform a heart transplant, but I do expect them to competently handle an emergency and that's exactly what they did.

 

Well sad to tell you that this is NOT always the case! We had a dear friend end up in the ship's hospital on a 14 day cruise a few years back and the doctor onboard insisted that our friend was suffering from a blocked bowel and needed immediate surgery. He was put OFF of the ship the following morning- by ambulance - in Mexico. My husband (who is ALSO a doctor) told the medical staff at the hospital that he did NOT agree with the onboard doctor's diagnosis and instead felt our friend was suffering from Pancreatitis......well guess who was right? The physician in Mexico listened to my husband's opinion, double-checked by running additional tests and confirmed my husband's diagnosis. Hate to think how awful it would be for our friend to have had BOWEL surgery for no reason....

 

Bottom line is that I think some of the earlier posters were right in that this doctor/friend would certainly be a good resource to have as a second opinion......and would they allow her to take over the ship's hospital? No of course not....BUT she would come in very handy in denying unnecessary procedures and could give her "two cents" worth in a "nice" way.....and could be very helpful that the end treatment and result were the best for all involved.

 

Funny thing is this SAME couple/friends of ours went with us the following year and the WIFE became sick onboard. She was having bleeding issues and the ship's physician said that it was "nothing to worry about" and to go on and enjoy her cruise.....next port my husband made her go to a lab to get lab testing done and we took the results back to the ship's physician.....guess what? You guessed it! This ship's physician was wrong again! When he read the lab results, he immediately had her taken by ambulance to a hospital for blood transfusions!

 

Never hurts to have a second opinion....especiallly if it is a friend of yours and you are in a foreign country!

 

I feel that in most cases the ship's physicians are competent and will know what to do....just know that I would also like to have a friend that also has the credentials there to oversee or give opinions....

 

Just my two cents....AND I am NOT going to name the cruise line as it could have been any one of them...

[jame_g]

Even the definition of "practice of medicine" can vary by state or country. It may include health education or other activities in addition to treatment. And with the advent of telemedicine (via telephone or internet), the health care professional may need to be licensed in multiple states. They cannot just be licensed where they reside, they must be licensed where the person seeking treatment (or health education) is located. Although reciprocal licensing agreements can help some.

 

When you start talking international care, it gets very complex. Life threatening emergency without other treatment options aside, your friend would be wise to not even attempt practicing outside the US without a lot of advance preparation into the legal issues around licensing and liability.

[LegallyBlonder]

Every cruise I am accompanied by my own personal Psychotherapist: Dr. Jose Cuervo :D

 

Omg, we have the same doctor!

 

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[coka]

Just dont get sick or injured, and it will not be an issue. Also, I am a minister. I hate it when I go someplace on vacation and people ask me to pray. I am not working. I am on vacation. So are your friends.

 

I understand you. My cousin was a Bishop and at all the family gatherings/reunions while growing up my dad reminded all of us kids the Bishop was on holiday and not to talk shop while he was visiting. We were totally cool with that when younger because we thought it meant we did not have to kiss his ring when we saw him. As an adult, the rule was different at my house where the reunions were then held. I thirsted and yearned for his knowledge and I am forever grateful for the religious conversations he obliged me whenever asked. I did make sure as my dad did, that he was not doing it 24/7 as even the head honcho rested on day seven, right? :D

 

OP, I agree with the poster who wrote you have the best of both worlds. I do hope the vacation is illness free for your group!

 

coka

[Ilovesailing]

I think you are right! Have never known of a minister who would pass up the opportunity to pray.

 

Especially if money is involved!

[fshagan]

Well sad to tell you that this is NOT always the case! We had a dear friend end up in the ship's hospital on a 14 day cruise a few years back and the doctor onboard insisted that our friend was suffering from a blocked bowel and needed immediate surgery. He was put OFF of the ship the following morning- by ambulance - in Mexico. My husband (who is ALSO a doctor) told the medical staff at the hospital that he did NOT agree with the onboard doctor's diagnosis and instead felt our friend was suffering from Pancreatitis......well guess who was right? The physician in Mexico listened to my husband's opinion, double-checked by running additional tests and confirmed my husband's diagnosis. Hate to think how awful it would be for our friend to have had BOWEL surgery for no reason....

 

Medicine is often more art than science. I have to say in this case, though, the impact of going with your husband's opinion without access to the tests to confirm it could lead to a dead passenger.

 

The ship's doctor did the right thing IF he couldn't rule out a bowel obstruction 100%. If there was even a small percentage chance that it was an obstruction the doc choose between inconvenience and death.

[MCAT48]

Well sad to tell you that this is NOT always the case! We had a dear friend end up in the ship's hospital on a 14 day cruise a few years back and the doctor onboard insisted that our friend was suffering from a blocked bowel and needed immediate surgery. He was put OFF of the ship the following morning- by ambulance - in Mexico. My husband (who is ALSO a doctor) told the medical staff at the hospital that he did NOT agree with the onboard doctor's diagnosis and instead felt our friend was suffering from Pancreatitis......well guess who was right? The physician in Mexico listened to my husband's opinion, double-checked by running additional tests and confirmed my husband's diagnosis. Hate to think how awful it would be for our friend to have had BOWEL surgery for no reason....

 

Bottom line is that I think some of the earlier posters were right in that this doctor/friend would certainly be a good resource to have as a second opinion......and would they allow her to take over the ship's hospital? No of course not....BUT she would come in very handy in denying unnecessary procedures and could give her "two cents" worth in a "nice" way.....and could be very helpful that the end treatment and result were the best for all involved.

 

Funny thing is this SAME couple/friends of ours went with us the following year and the WIFE became sick onboard. She was having bleeding issues and the ship's physician said that it was "nothing to worry about" and to go on and enjoy her cruise.....next port my husband made her go to a lab to get lab testing done and we took the results back to the ship's physician.....guess what? You guessed it! This ship's physician was wrong again! When he read the lab results, he immediately had her taken by ambulance to a hospital for blood transfusions!

 

Never hurts to have a second opinion....especiallly if it is a friend of yours and you are in a foreign country!

 

I feel that in most cases the ship's physicians are competent and will know what to do....just know that I would also like to have a friend that also has the credentials there to oversee or give opinions....

 

Just my two cents....AND I am NOT going to name the cruise line as it could have been any one of them...

 

 

I've been to the ER twice for different things and been misdiagnosed. It happens all the time, on land and on sea. :(

[Sea Monster 2]

My brother's wife is a dermatologist, and he says that one of the things that has surprised him about medicine is how "little" (obviously, this is relative as they have all been to med school) they know about each other's specialties. His wife, for example, will provide immediate care to their children if they are ill, but then they go to the pediatrician as soon as is possible. She doesn't presume to know everything, although she maintains both a personal and professional interest in cases that occur in her presence, and she obviously knows way more about health and medicine than we laypeople do. They have had the opportunity to live and work in four different medical communities over the course of her studies and career, and this has been consistent everywhere-- medical professionals respect each other's specialties and experience, and while they might have ideas and opinions, they don't intervene in each other's cases.

 

We have had to visit the medical center three times on ships, for an ear infection, a smashed finger and a rash. None of these things were emergencies (although those involving our son certainly felt like it at the time!), but we were impressed by both the equipment and the staff on the ships.