If you’re looking for a doctor in Medellin, you can visit the Emergency Dept. of any of the hospitals (“clinicas”) listed below. These clinicas all operate 24 hours, although services may be limited during the night. Many hospitals (including all those in our selection below) have offices that provide advice to international patients looking to receive specialist medical or cosmetic treatment in Colombia so some English is general spoken.

Without local medical insurance, you will be referred to as a “particular” and required to pay for treatment. This may also mean that you get to jump the queue. To be seen by a doctor, you will first be asked to register. Remember to take your passport, and your credit card or enough money, for treatment. You may be asked to pay a deposit in advance. After treatment, you will be given the final bill, where you will need to pay the balance or receive a refund if the treatment was less than expected.

You can expect to pay around 100,000 COP for an average check-up and any special treatment required may be additional. If you need specialist doctor or physiotherapist etc you should start at the Emergency Dept for an initial check up and they will give you a recommendation to specialist services within their hospital.

Chiropractor services are not very common in Colombia.  However here are a few options.

• Nueva Vida – based in Manila, Poblado
• El Centro Quiropráctico Vita  – based in Manila, Poblado
• Quirovida Centro Quiropráctico – based in Envigado.

There seems to be pharmacies on most of the major streets in El Poblado, especially on Avenida Poblado and Calle 10. Nearly all of them offer a home delivery service. Most hospitals have pharmacies on site although they tend to be a little more expensive.

At times, the pharmacy may ask if you’d like the original drug or the cheaper generic product – the price difference between the two may be quite significant.

If you’re looking for the best English speaking dentist in Medellin, Juan Carlos at Artica Dental Clinic comes highly recommended. Juan Carlos has a very modern practice, based in the Las Palmas area of Poblado, and has been looking after English speaking patients longer than anybody else.

A standard checkup and cleaning costs about 150,000COP and the dentist will do all the work himself (not pass you over to the hygienist). If you need teeth whitening, dental implants, crowns, and/or bridges, they specialize in these areas as well. Prices can be as much as 50% less than at a dentist in the US or the UK.

Another great option is Almadent located a little further away in Centro Commercial Almacento opposite San Deigo mall. Ask for an appointment with the dentist María Isabel Salazar López who speaks English.Based in Poblado, International Smiles focus on their patients as a whole individual: they treat the body, not only the mouth. With American trained and certified professionals, they offer a specialized care of dental health in a peaceful environment they create through facial stimulation masks, thermal gloves, neck massagers, eye relaxers, relaxing music, aromatherapy and full body massages. International Smiles will ensure that you achieve a younger and better-looking smile, from inside out, by offering cosmetic dentistry (ceramic crowns, veneers, smile design), dental implants and periodontal treatments, regenerative procedures (bone and tissue grafting) and crown lengthening procedures.