This is an invitation for you to join me in my journey, to get to know together the life, the people, the streets and all the hidden corners of this beautiful country β and then some more. Follow Amsterdamian on:. Posted on Oct 28, by Dana Marin. This was not the image I had in mind when I moved to the Netherlands.
A medical system in a developed country, where there is research happening and they have money for fancy hospitals, should be great, right? Well, certain aspects of it are definitely great like hospitals equipped with innovative technology and highly skilled specialists , but when you have a health problem, you first have to go to the family doctor β the first level in a game you will have to play if you want to recover your health.
And, contrary to your usual game, this level is the hardest one to pass! Like the first level of Squid Game, most players will fail here sorry for the spoiler. It requires nerves of steel, patience and good planning. But if you get the hang of it, you might succeed. In the Netherlands, the family doctor does most of the consults including gynaecological and also performs minor surgeries, so you really need to learn how to get the best out of the interaction. But what is this thing about the Dutch family doctors?
It is what it is and I choose to live here, so no complaints needed. But recent experiences with the family doctor aka GP got me very frustrated , and I thought an article about that is in order. Disclaimer: This is an article about the family doctors, and not about the entire medical personnel working in hospitals and practices. Among the first things I had to solve when I moved to the Netherlands was finding a family doctor. To find a GP, you have to look for practices in your area that are still accepting new patients.
It can be a tricky thing, as most of them are at full capacity and you might have to accept whichever doctor is free because there are no other options. But if you do have options, and you have the possibility to choose between doctors, you can schedule an introductory meeting to see which one you like best.
