At the Doctor: Clinics & Prescriptions (A2 Vocabulary)
At a clinic, doctors see people. You call to make an appointment, a time to see the doctor.
Seeing a doctor
Try it: Man: Can I just walk in and see the doctor? Woman: No, sorry. First you have to call and ___. Choose what the woman says. (refill a prescription / make an appointment / go to the emergency room) Answer: make an appointment — He cannot just walk in, so he calls to make an appointment.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
clinic
Is there a clinic near here?
make an appointment
I need to make an appointment for next week.
Help today
Urgent care helps you today, with no appointment, when it can't wait. The emergency room at a hospital is for very bad problems, day or night.
Try it: Woman: Our daughter has a bad cough. I want a doctor to see her tonight. Man: It isn't very bad, so let's take her to ___. Choose what the man says. (the emergency room / urgent care / the pharmacy) Answer: urgent care — She needs a doctor tonight, but it is not very bad, so they go to urgent care.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
urgent care
Urgent care is open until nine.
emergency room
They took him to the emergency room.
Paying for it
Insurance pays for most of your doctor visits. Your copay is the small part you pay at each visit.
Try it: Man: I lost my job, and now I have no ___. Woman: Oh no. A visit to the doctor can be very expensive now. Choose what the man says. (prescription / insurance / pharmacist) Answer: insurance — With no job, he has no insurance, so a doctor visit is expensive.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
insurance
My new job has good insurance.
copay
Is there a copay for this visit?
Your medicine
The doctor writes a prescription for your medicine. The pharmacist at the pharmacy gives it to you. Pills are small, hard medicine. To get more of the same medicine, you refill a prescription.
Try it: Man: Excuse me, are my pills ready? Woman: Sorry, I don't work here. Ask the ___. Choose what the woman says. (clinic / copay / pharmacist) Answer: pharmacist — Pills at the pharmacy come from the pharmacist.