Mexico, Services - understand-culture

Recommended by Someone

In September 2026, Expansión reported on Mexican lawyers who have begun to look for clients on TikTok. Citing the head of the legal platform Legalook, the magazine wrote that about 90 percent of the lawyers her company contacted still get most of their clients “a través de recomendaciones personales” (through personal recommendations). One lawyer in the article said that his clients now come mostly from social media.

In July 2026, Expansión described how patients traditionally came to trust a doctor, through the “recomendación de familiares o conocidos” (recommendation of relatives or acquaintances). Data from the booking platform Doctoralia, cited in the same article, show that nine of ten patients now look up a specialist online before making an appointment.

Comments from Acquaintances

In September 2007, the research firm Leventer Group surveyed 501 adults in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey on how they choose companies, products and services. Word-of-mouth comments and recommendations were present “en ocho de cada 10 ocasiones en las que se selecciona a una compañía por primera vez” (on eight of every 10 occasions when a company is chosen for the first time).

The study appeared in the journal of AMAI, the Mexican association of market research agencies. Its conclusion was that word of mouth carries more weight when it comes from acquaintances than from people outside the consumer’s close circle.

Orders from the Attending Physicians

The internal rules for medical residencies at the Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González require residents to “cumplir debidamente las órdenes de los profesores o médicos adscritos” (duly carry out the orders of the professors or attending physicians). The official standard for medical residencies, NOM-001-SSA-2023, places the work of residents under the direction and supervision of the head professor, the adjunct professors and the head of service.

In 2022, a representative of medical interns described their training to Expansión Política as “una estructura bastante rígida, híper jerárquica” (a quite rigid, hyper-hierarchical structure). The physician and lawyer Mauricio Sarmiento, quoted in the same article, gave an example: the attending physicians use the elevator, and the residents and the interns do not.

Originally the Minister’s

Article 16 of Mexico’s Organic Law of the Federal Public Administration assigns the handling and resolution of the matters of each ministry to its head. The article begins: “Corresponde originalmente a los titulares de las Secretarías de Estado” (It belongs originally to the heads of the ministries). The heads may delegate powers to officials below them. Some powers cannot be delegated and must be exercised by the heads themselves.

Those Who Direct Bind the Employer

Article 11 of Mexico’s Federal Labor Law names the people who represent the employer: “Los directores, administradores, gerentes y demás personas que ejerzan funciones de dirección o administración” (the directors, administrators, managers and other persons who perform functions of direction or administration). In that capacity, the article says, they bind the employer in its relations with the workers.

For Your Superior Knowledge

The municipal government of Puebla has issued a guide for the official letters, memos and circulars of its departments. Each document carries the initials of the person who wrote it and of the person who validates it. The copies are listed in hierarchical order. The copy to the municipal president carries the formula “Para su superior conocimiento” (For your superior knowledge).

Professions That Need a Title

Article 5 of the Mexican Constitution protects the freedom to work in any lawful profession. It then adds: “La ley determinará en cada entidad federativa, cuáles son las profesiones que necesitan título para su ejercicio” (The law shall determine in each federal entity which professions need a title to be practiced). The same law sets the conditions for obtaining the title and names the authorities that issue it.

The Vocabulary of the Title

Profesionista, a person who has studied a profession and practices it. The Diccionario del español de México of El Colegio de México gives the example un profesionista de gran valor, a professional of great worth.

Titularse, to obtain one’s professional title: “El año pasado se titularon casi todos mis compañeros de generación” (Last year almost all my classmates got their titles). Pasante, a person who has passed all the courses of a degree but has not yet taken the professional exam, as in un pasante de derecho, a law pasante.

The Accountant’s Signature

A dictamen fiscal is an accountant’s audit opinion on a taxpayer’s financial statements for tax purposes. Article 52 of Mexico’s Federal Tax Code allows only registered persons to sign one. Registration is open to Mexicans “que tengan título de contador público registrado ante la Secretaría de Educación Pública” (who hold a title of public accountant registered with the Ministry of Public Education).

They must also have belonged to a recognized professional association for at least three years, hold a certification and have at least three years of experience preparing tax audits. Foreign accountants qualify only where an international treaty allows it.

Becoming a Notary

In April 2024, the office of Mexico City’s legal counsel published the schedule of the exams for the patent of aspirant to the office of notary.

Under the city’s notary law, an aspirant must be a lawyer “con cédula profesional” (with a professional license) and prove at least twelve months of uninterrupted practice in a notary’s office. The patent of notary is issued by the head of the city government. The city’s notary offices are known by number.