Executive Checkup Medellín: What’s Included, Cost & My Experience
I’d been putting off a proper physical exam for nearly two years after we moved to Medellín. Between pregnancies, adjusting to a new country, and managing the kids and household… my own health kept sliding down the list. Sound familiar?
When we heard about the Executive Checkup at Clínica El Rosario, the thing that sold us was the convenience: one full day, one place, everything covered. No scheduling six separate appointments around school pickups and work travel.
After years of US healthcare, where you pay a boat load before your insurance even kicks in, this was worth every penny for the peace of mind alone. Here’s exactly what the day looked like, what’s covered, and what it costs.
What Is the Executive Checkup?
The Executive Checkup (“Chequeo Ejecutivo”) at Clínica El Rosario is a full-day comprehensive health assessment. Everything in one place, one day, with someone escorting you through each appointment. It’s designed for adults who want a thorough snapshot of their health across labs, imaging, cardiology, and specialist consults.
There are different packages based on age and sex, and they have a dedicated international patient coordinator who speaks English and can walk you through booking.
What's Included
The women’s full under-45 package covers:
- Full laboratory workup: blood panel, thyroid, cholesterol, glucose, kidney and liver function, HIV, and more
- Urinalysis and stool sample
- Pap smear
- Chest X-ray
- Full abdominal ultrasound
- Transvaginal ultrasound
- EKG (electrocardiogram)
- Echocardiogram
- Nutritionist consultation
- Internal medicine consultation to review all results
- The full package also adds: Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) and breast ultrasound
If anything is flagged or out of range, they work to schedule follow-up testing as quickly as possible which is exactly what happened with me. More on that later.
What the Day Actually Looks Like
Bring a kindle. There’s waiting.
You start with labs first thing in the morning (fasting required), drop off your samples, and then move through each appointment with an escort who guides you from station to station. The flow is pretty smooth. Labs, pap, X-rays, ultrasounds, cardio and wait times were mostly reasonable until the end of the day when we were waiting for the nutritionist and internal medicine consult.
That last appointment is where it gets real. The internal medicine doctor sits down with you, reviews everything, and flags anything that needs follow-up. Mine caught kidney stones I had zero symptoms for. I would have had no idea.
Not alarming overall! But exactly the kind of thing you want to know.
What It Costs
Pricing is per package. Here’s what the under-45 packages run (approximate USD at current exchange rates):
Women under 45
Full exam (includes A1C + breast ultrasound): ~$700 USD
Men under 45
Full exam (with stress echo): ~$600 USD
For pricing on the 45+ packages and full package breakdowns, visit the Clínica El Rosario website. There’s a contact form you can submit or contact their international patient coordinator directly:
Laura Victoria Grisales, Aux. Administrative
WhatsApp: 310-505-3706
Email: chequeoejecutivo@clinicaelrosario.com
What About SURA Insurance?
If you have a SURA póliza, some of these exams can be covered through your insurance, but it’s a different experience. Through insurance, you’d schedule each test separately, go when appointments are available, and manage a lot more back and forth.
Between work and kids, we decided it was worth paying out of pocket to get everything done in one day. The follow-up appointments that came out of the internal medicine consult? Those we ran through insurance. That part worked well!
Is It Worth It?
As parents, we spend so much energy taking care of everyone else. But you can’t catch things you never tested for. And that oxygen mask has to go on you first.
For the peace of mind alone, it was worth every penny. In my case nothing was life-threatening, but the fact that it flagged something I had zero symptoms for, something I ultimately needed surgery for, made it a no-brainer.
We’ve also seen it matter for people around us. A friend in his 40s had gone 5+ years without a real checkup. His primary care physician Stateside had done a basic physical with zero labs and sent him on his way. One of those appointments where you leave feeling unseen rather than cared for. That experience is unfortunately common, and it’s even worse for women and people of color. He came to Medellín to visit, did the executive check up, and thyroid cancer was flagged. He took his results home and found the care he needed near where he lived. That checkup changed everything.
If you’ve been putting off a real physical since moving here, this is a solid option. Especially for the English-speaking community. The international patient team is responsive, and if you’re visiting on a shorter timeline they do their best to get you in quickly. If you live here full-time, follow-up response times weren’t always lightning fast, but nothing that would stop me from doing it again and something I’ve encouraged friends to make time for if they come visit us.
Have questions about the Executive Checkup? Drop them in the comments. I’ll answer what I can!
MEET SARAH
Welcome! I’m Sarah. I started this blog to be a resource for others around a few of my favorite things: living in Colombia, DIY projects, places traveled, and day-to-day life. My hope is that it can a place of inspiration and encouragement to help you plan the next project or adventure of your own!
