Finding a Doctor in Madrid

When I first arrived in Madrid people were asking about doctors at orientation and I remember thinking “oh i won’t need a doctor i’ll be fine.” Of course a month and a half later I became sick with really bad digestion/stomach problems. As I found out, this is pretty common among travelers who go abroad.

A good place to start for finding an English speaking doctor is the U.S. Embassy’s website. They have a list for every doctor of every practice and the contact information.

As for me, I went to a general practitioner who spoke English very well and was relatively close to my apartment. Unfortunately, I had to put down the money in cash upfront. I paid 80 euros for a regular visit but I am able to file a claim within 90 days to iNext for a full refund. The process is pretty easy as all you have to do is mail or email a form to iNext and they will review it. I have been told it takes up to two months for them to refund you.

Another option for minor illnesses is going to Hospital Universitario La Paz. My roommate found out about this place after I visited the doctor but it is totally free but you won't have to schedule an appointment. However, my friend waited almost four hours for them to take her. It depends on how busy they are that day but if your problem isn’t urgent and you don't have 80 euros to drop this is a good option.

The doctor gave me a list of medications I could pick up at the local pharmacy and my problem has been pretty much cured since then. Unfortunately I will have to continue paying 30 euros a month for the medicine and probiotics but hopefully I can file a claim for that too through insurance.

Generally speaking finding a doctor is through word of mouth. The doctor I went to was Dr. Manuel Ortiz-Villajos Lopez: family doctor in Madrid near the Nuevos Ministerios metro station. He has very good reviews and I knew he spoke English so it was a safe bet.

The doctor also recommended I go to a lab to get my blood sampled for parasites. Luckily that wasn’t the case but if this is something you have to do I went to Hospital San Francisco de Asís which is near the Republica de Argentina metro station. This was another 40 euros to get the lab results back about a week after I dropped them off.

Make sure to bring a photo ID and cash to the doctors because most places only want to accept cash. Good Luck!