Doctors in Stratford

As most of us know, finding a family doctor in Canada is virtually impossible. There are not many who are taking new patients, and people are on waiting lists for years before finally getting one. Well I thought I would compile a list of websites with doctors in the Stratford, Ontario area. I will also give you a website to avoid and explain why.

1. Ontario Doctor Directory – This website has a list of all the physicians in the Stratford area. It is a great website to get additional information on the doctors such as their address, phone number, and some even have reviews. One unfortunate thing about the website is that in order to see if any doctors are accepting new patients, you have to pay what they call a “donation” of $4.99 per month. (www.ontariodoctordirectory.ca)
2. Health Aware – One reason I chose this website is because I like the way it is laid out. You are able to search for any city, and any type of doctor and you will get quite an extensive list. When searching for family doctors, I actually got a list of 32 clinics and 52 doctors. Also, when you click on a clinic it brings you to the map that is on the main page and shows you where it is. When clicking on the clinic’s profile, it is also possible to see the full list of doctors at this clinic. (healthaware.ca)
3. Doctor in Town – When I first got to this website it didn’t seem very inviting as the first thing I saw was advertisement, and actually needed to scroll down to see the list. But it does have a decent list with addresses and phone numbers. They also have a link for directions right from the website. (www.doctorintown.net)
4. Health Local – I thought this was a great website to get all the information needed about any type of doctor in the Stratford area. By simply putting in the city and the type of Health Service professional you are looking, it will give you a full list with addresses and phone numbers. On this website, you can search for anything from chiropractors to naturopathic doctors, and even laser hair removal. The website also had some other useful information such as health tips and a question of the week which is actually answered by heath care professionals.   (www.health-local.com)
5. Yellow Pages – As we know, Yellow Pages is not the new kid on the block. They have been around for a long time in print form, and their website does not disappoint either. It is possible to search in many different categories as simply searching doctors gave me thousands or results. So if you are really looking for a complete list of doctors this is where to go, but it may take a while to go through them all. (www.yellowpages.ca)
6. Virtual Walk – This is also a very good list of doctors in the Stratford area; with all their addresses and phone numbers. What makes this site different is that they also have a list of all the dentists and veterinarians. The website also has listing of many other things in Stratford, such as shopping, places of worship, sports etc. (virtualwalk.ca)
7. Stratford Smart City – This is a website that has an article written about a new electronic system that 45% of doctors in Stratford are already using. I decided to add it to the list because it gives people of Stratford an idea of how the health care system in their city is taking advantage of modern technology, and I think this is a program that we will see used more and more in other cities also. (stratfordsmartcity.ca)
8. Medical Service Rating – The website is actually designed as a website to rate doctors and write reviews. Unfortunately, there are not many ratings; however the reason I chose it was because I was unable to find other websites with ratings and reviews. I think it is good to be able to read review about the doctor who will have your life in their hands. The website also has a mini biography on the doctors.  (mds.servicerating.ca)
9. Find a Naturopath – Although this is a short list, there are only three; I am thinking there are not many more than three naturopathic doctors in Stratford. This website gives their complete information including a link to the naturopaths’ website and e-mail. (findanaturopath.com)
10. Google Maps – This is a link to the Stratford area doctors result from Google Maps. Let’s face it, when we are looking for things like this Google maps is a very good tool, to get directions, or see exactly where something is; especially with Google Street View. (www.google.ca)
11. Stratford Area Connect – This has got to be the most useless website I have ever stumbled upon. Alright, well maybe not, but it does not have any use at all for what I was searching. It has all the search fields, but no listings at all when you search; in fact, it links you to another website. This website was made by someone who was trying to make some quick money. (stratford.areaconnect.ca)