[musicman]

Regarding "foreign" doctors and wanting one that "speaks English"...

First, all doctors who practice in the US speak English. Some are just difficult to understand.

Second, unless you are American Indian, we are ALL foreigners at some point in our family history. That is how this country was built. Amazing how quickly some people forget. Just two generations ago, my family tree had NO branches here in America.

Finally, a good friend of mine was a practicing surgeon in Brazil. He decided to come to the US for the great oportunities that this country has to offer. Even though he had gone to medical school (4 years), completed residency (5 years) and was a practicing physician in his country (2 years), he had to go through the entire residency process again to be licensed in the US (another 5 years). He is FAR better educated than most US trained physicians. And, though we tend to think that the US has the greatest of everything, there are many countries that have education systems that far exceed ours.

So, if you're concerned about being able to understand what your doctor is saying, I understand. If you're concerned about your "foreign" doctors training, you are probably getting a better educated doctor. And believe me, I've gone to some US educated doctors that spoke perfect English but couldn't diagnose to save their...I mean my life. I'll take my foreign educated docs any day of the week.

By the way, I recommend Dr. Balingit, a foreign trained doctor. He is a pulmonologist, but I see him for all my routine care. Unforunately, I don't think he is taking on any patient's for routine care anymore, since he is so busy with his pulmonology specialty. You can always give it a try, though.