Finnish IRL

Situation

The health centre, the phone queue and the recorded message

The doctor probably speaks English. The booking system, the recorded menu and the text message do not.

The short version

  • Terveysasema is the public health centre; the private ones are lääkäriasema. Which one you use changes the cost, not the vocabulary.
  • Most booking is online or by callback. The recorded phone menu is Finnish-first almost everywhere, which is where people get stuck.
  • Prescriptions are electronic. You give your identity code at the pharmacy and nothing is printed.

Getting seen

Finnish English When
Finnish Haluaisin varata ajan lääkärille. EnglishI'd like to book a doctor's appointment. When the core sentence Safe anywhere
Finnish Mulla on kipeä kurkku. written: Minulla on kipeä kurkku. EnglishI have a sore throat. When the pattern: mulla on + symptom Casual - fine once you know people
Finnish Se on kestänyt viikon. EnglishIt's lasted a week. When the follow-up question, always Safe anywhere
Finnish Onks päivystys auki? written: Onko päivystys auki? EnglishIs the walk-in clinic open? When out of hours Safe anywhere

On the phone

Finnish English When
Finnish takaisinsoittopyyntö Englishcallback request When what the menu is offering you Safe anywhere
Finnish Valitse yksi. EnglishPress one. When the recorded menu Safe anywhere
Finnish Odota hetki. EnglishWait a moment. When you will hear this a lot Safe anywhere
Finnish Puhutteko englantia? EnglishDo you speak English? When usually answered yes Safe anywhere

Afterwards

Finnish English When
Finnish resepti Englishprescription When electronic, nothing on paper Safe anywhere
Finnish sairasloma Englishsick leave When the certificate for your employer Safe anywhere
Finnish apteekki Englishpharmacy When green cross, everywhere Safe anywhere
Finnish Tarviiks tähän reseptiä? written: Tarvitseeko tähän reseptiä? EnglishDo I need a prescription for this? When at the pharmacy counter Casual - fine once you know people

The move that gives you away

Don't

  • Do not describe symptoms the way you would to a friend at home, with a long story leading up to them.

Do

  • Say what hurts, how long it has been going on, and stop.

Finnish medical conversation is direct and short by default. The extra context you would add in English reads as anxiety rather than as information, and the follow-up questions will get to it anyway.

Same thing, three registers

  1. Written Haluaisin varata vastaanottoajan lääkärille.

  2. Spoken Mä haluisin varata ajan.

  3. Casual Sais varata ajan?

Use the middle one on the phone. The bottom one is fine face to face with a receptionist you can see is not busy.

Booking by phone

Terveysasema, hyvää päivää. Health centre, good afternoon.
Päivää. Mä haluisin varata ajan lääkärille. Afternoon. I'd like to book a doctor's appointment.
Joo. Mikä on asia? Right. What is it regarding?
Mulla on kipeä kurkku, se on kestänyt viikon. I have a sore throat, it's lasted a week.
Selvä. Henkilötunnus? Okay. Personal identity code?

Quick check

You want to say you have a headache. Which structure is right?

Where do you collect a prescription in Finland?

Words used here

Kela - a man sitting alone in a row of plastic chairs in a Kela waiting room holding a paper queue ticket, snow through the glass door
Kela The letter arrives before you have worked out who sent it
anteeks - a young man squeezing past an older woman in a narrow Finnish supermarket aisle with one hand slightly raised, melting snow tracked across the floor
anteeks written anteeksi The most-used politeness word in the country, and the final letter falls off
kiitos - a waitress setting a beer down for an older man on a summer lake terrace
kiitos Finnish has no word for please, and this is what fills the gap

Questions people ask

Can I see a Finnish doctor in English?

In the cities, usually yes, and staff will switch without being asked. The gap is the booking system and the recorded phone menu, which are Finnish-first almost everywhere.

What is the difference between terveysasema and lääkäriasema?

Terveysasema is the public health centre attached to your municipality. Lääkäriasema is a private clinic - faster, more expensive, often covered by an employer.

How do prescriptions work in Finland?

They are electronic and national. The doctor files it, you go to any pharmacy, give your personal identity code, and collect. There is no paper at any point.

What is a takaisinsoittopyyntö?

A callback request. Rather than hold, you leave your number in the phone menu and the health centre calls you back, usually the same day. It is the normal route in and worth recognising in the recording.

Kela and the paperwork The shop