If you’ve ever used Canada’s healthcare system, it’s likely you’ve spent a chunk of time sitting in a waiting room, twiddling your thumbs and letting your mind run amok.
Over on TikTok, Danny (@normalguydanny), who describes himself as the “third most famous Canadian,” recently made a video about just how important that custom is to the process.
In the TikTok, Danny can be seen sitting and waiting in a doctor’s exam room as his cheeky take on the whole situation is written out in text over the video.
“Did you know that in [Canada] it’s customary to take a couple of hours for self-reflection during a doctor’s visit?” he said.
While for some, it likely doesn’t take “hours” of waiting around, depending on where you live and the number of doctors available, it definitely could take a while.
According to an index that tracks how long it takes for some Canadians to see a walk-in physician, while in Ontario it’ll take about 25 minutes to see a doctor, in Nova Scotia, it’ll take about 83 minutes on average.
“Every patient, regardless of background or education, is given the opportunity to self-diagnose; interestingly, some come to realize there was nothing wrong with them in the first place!” explained Danny as he continues to wait his turn at the physician’s office.
According to Danny, the waiting is a key element in the relationship and is in fact beneficial for everyone involved.
“It’s a truly Canadian approach to healthcare that highlights empowerment in the patient-doctor relationship,” he sassily said.
Over in the comments, people definitely related to the whole scenario.
“Sitting in the waiting room has given my broken limbs plenty of time to just heal themselves,” explained one person.
“Waiting in the exam room for an hour but it’s different than the hour before in the waiting room cause ur in the *exam room*,” said another.
“Don’t forget the time given to inspect the ear canal and anatomy posters,” advised one commentor.
So while Danny’s take on waiting around to see a doctor is definitely tongue-in-cheek… it might actually help to think of it in that way the next time you’re stuck in a waiting room?
Best of luck!