Get my Premium Fluency Courses Transcript:
Hi! I’m Georgiana, and I’m back with a new episode of the Speak English Now podcast—the podcast that helps you speak English fluently, with no grammar and no textbooks.
This is the second episode in our 4-part series on going to the doctor.
In the last episode, we practiced how to make an appointment on the phone. Today, we will look at what happens when you actually arrive at the clinic.
This part can be stressful too, because you may need to check in at the reception, show your insurance card, or fill out forms. Don’t worry—we will learn the most common expressions, I will share some short examples, and then we will finish with a fun Point of View story.
Useful Vocabulary and Expressions
When you arrive at a clinic or doctor’s office, the first person you usually see is the receptionist. Here are some useful phrases:
- “I’m here for my appointment.”
- “My name is John Smith. I have an appointment at 10 a.m.”
- “Here is my ID and insurance card.”
- “Do I need to fill out any forms?”
- “This is my first time here.”
- “I need to update my information.”
The receptionist might also say:
- “Please take a seat in the waiting room.”
- “Fill out these forms and bring them back.”
- “We will call your name when the doctor is ready.”
- “Do you have a co-pay today?” (Co-pay means the part of the bill you pay even with insurance.)
Realistic Examples
Example 1 – First Visit
Receptionist: “Good morning. Can I help you?”
Patient: “Yes, I’m here for my appointment. My name is Ana Torres.”
Receptionist: “Is this your first visit with us?”
Patient: “Yes, it is.”
Receptionist: “Okay, please fill out these forms and bring them back with your ID and insurance card.”
Example 2 – Returning Patient
Receptionist: “Good afternoon. What’s your name?”
Patient: “I’m here for a 3 p.m. appointment. My name is David Green.”
Receptionist: “Welcome back, Mr. Green. Do you need to update your information?”
Patient: “No, everything is the same.”
Receptionist: “Great. Please take a seat in the waiting room.”
Example 3 – Payment Question
Receptionist: “Hi, do you have your insurance card with you?”
Patient: “Yes, here it is.”
Receptionist: “Thank you. Your co-pay today is $20.”
Patient: “No problem. Can I pay by card?”
Receptionist: “Of course.”
Extra Vocabulary
- Waiting room → the area where patients sit before seeing the doctor.
- Forms → papers you fill in with your personal and medical information.
- ID → identification, like a passport or driver’s license.
- Co-pay → the amount you pay at the clinic even if you have insurance.
Now, let’s practice with a point of view story.
If you want to practice more, get my
Premium Courses:
SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/courses
Point of View-Story
(Learn Grammar)
Now, let’s practice with a Point of View Story.
I will tell you the same story, but in different points of view. This will help you practice grammar in a natural way.
Part 1 – Past Tense (3rd Person)
Last Tuesday, Mark went to the clinic for his appointment. He arrived 15 minutes early, just to be safe.
At the reception desk, he said, “Good morning. I’m here for my 10 a.m. appointment. My name is Mark Johnson.”
The receptionist asked for his ID and insurance card. Mark proudly handed over his driver’s license. But the receptionist looked at it and said, “Sir, this is expired. It expired three years ago.”
Mark was shocked. He had never noticed! Luckily, the receptionist still accepted it but gave him a friendly warning: “You might want to renew this before your next visit.”
Then she gave him a clipboard with several forms to fill out. Mark sat in the waiting room and started writing. But there were so many questions: allergies, surgeries, medications… He began to feel nervous.
Finally, he reached a question that asked: “Emergency contact.” Mark accidentally wrote down the pizza delivery number. He realized too late, and when the nurse saw it, she laughed and said, “Well, if you faint, at least we can order a pizza for you!”
Mark turned red but laughed too. At least the clinic staff had a sense of humor.
Part 2 – Past Tense (1st Person Plural)
Last Tuesday, we went to the clinic for our appointment. We arrived 15 minutes early, just to be safe.
At the reception desk, we said, “Good morning. We’re here for our 10 a.m. appointment. Our name is Johnson.”
The receptionist asked for our ID and insurance card. We proudly handed over our driver’s license. But the receptionist looked at it and said, “This is expired. It expired three years ago.”
We were shocked. We had never noticed! Luckily, the receptionist still accepted it but gave us a friendly warning: “You might want to renew this before your next visit.”
Then she gave us a clipboard with several forms to fill out. We sat in the waiting room and started writing. But there were so many questions: allergies, surgeries, medications… We began to feel nervous.
Finally, we reached a question that asked: “Emergency contact.” We accidentally wrote down the pizza delivery number. We realized too late, and when the nurse saw it, she said, “Well, if you faint, at least we can order a pizza for you!”
We turned red but laughed too. At least the clinic staff had a sense of humor.
Great! I love using stories like these—they’re easy to remember and really helpful for learning English. A bit of humor also makes the process more fun and enjoyable. You can find more of this method in my premium courses.
0 Comments