Dialogue:

 

Intro: Hello, we are together with Dr. Plesa. Three years ago he found a job in Germany through our company and he is here to share with us his success story.

 

Dr. Plesa: Hello, good to see you again.

 

V: Please describe how the recruiting process went.

 

P: I found out about you from a colleague who already knew about EGV. I applied through the Internet, and shortly we got to meet for an interview that went very well. Afterwards I went to Germany and throughout the interviews there, I was constantly accompanied by a consultant.  All I had left to do was to choose the hospital I wanted to work for. The people there made me feel very welcomed.   

 

V: Does the hospital where you applied three years ago, meet your expectations? 

 

P: Yes, of course. The hospital where I am working is new and I was impressed how the doctors can do their job. The staff and personnel are all professionals. Although we were foreigners they were very kind to us. We did everything we could in order to do our job well and we didn’t have any problems at all. 

 

V: I know you went to Germany with a colleague. Did he feel the same way as you did? 

 

P: Yes. As we talked about our experiences he mentioned he was fond of everything as well. 

 

V: What differences have you noticed between the hospitals in Germany and the ones in Romania?

 

P: There are many differences, starting from the cleanness, the personnel and the medical activity. My Chief Physician was very patient from the beginning and he supported us in our trainings. I have lots of possibilities to evolve in my career.  The hospital where I am working is specialized in respiratory diseases and I decided to work in the Pulmonology Department. Here I have the possibility to do bronchoscopies. I was surprised to get to work with this kind of equipment so early. It was also a pleasant surprise when the Chief Physician and the Management sent us to further education. After six months I was sent to an ECG and Sonographer course; these two are crucial in our development.  As doctors in training we have to evolve and to keep learning. It was a great opportunity. We could notice that people care for us and our further development. My colleague and I have learned things we would probably not learn in Romania; at least not so fast. Because of the early process of training we developed fast. Everything was a challenge for me but in a good working climate. It is also good to mention that doctors are respected not only by their colleagues but also by the patients; in return they demand for good performance. 

 

V: How did you manage to integrate in the German society?

 

 

P: In the beginning we didn’t have too much time for this, because everything was new for us and we spent much time at work. With the time passing we grow into it and we could develop our social lives and get used to the German culture and society. Although we were foreigners, people where always kind to us.  Everywhere we went in our spare time we came across really nice people. It is a mature society and that contributed to our fast and easy integration in their society. 

 

V: How do you see your life now, after three years spent in Germany, compared to your life before and your colleagues who decided to stay in Romania?    

 

P: I knew right from the beginning what I want. I also knew that I would not have the chance to develop in Romania as I did here and the opportunities where also fewer compared to Germany.  So I contacted you and I am glad I met you than. Basically we found together opportunities for my future. In these three years my life has completely changed. You are being asked to work hard, but I am entirely content with my achievements. I was able to reach my target because of the support and input of those involved. 

 

V: What do you advice the doctors and freshly graduates who consider working abroad?

 

P: Well, if this is what they really want I encourage them to go for it. There are a lot more opportunities than in Romania, unfortunately. They can go on with their lives, become good doctors because everything I said before is true.

 

V: Thank you very much for your time and we wish you all the best in your career.

 

P: Thank you for having me. I wish you all the best too.