Interview with anaesthesiologist recruited by Paragona to Germany in 2011

How has your life changed after moving to Germany?

Doctor: Actually it has not changed much. I work a lot. 70-80 hours a week. The real difference is that I can spare some money. I don’t have to worry about my financial status, it is really important.
I miss the Hungarian food. I even miss the Polish food. You know what is it like here. German food is OK, but… There is always this “but”. You have this feeling that with some spice you could make a big difference.

How do you estimate the standard of living in your home country and in Germany?

D: In my case there is a huge difference. Now I can afford some luxury stuff, I could only dream when working in Hungary. I can spare 50-75% of my salary I think. I am not sure. I don’t have to think about it every day. I could not afford my own flat in Hungary; I had no other option but to live at my parents. They are nice, but please, I am a bit too old for that.

What was the most challenging for you after moving abroad?

D: The language.
The other (smaller) challenge was the higher professional standard in Germany. I thought I am really good at anesthesia, but I learned
pretty much in my first months here.

How do you cope with the foreign language in the new country?

D: The Paragona-training was great, but at the beginning it was really difficult to understand people here. I am still not satisfied, but it is getting better. Don’t misunderstand me, I never had real difficulties at the hospital. I can work, I understand my colleagues, my patients, I can write medical reports, I attended medical trainings, I made presentations, no problem. But it is not that easy if we are talking about something else, like cooking, politics, holidays, etc.

Go to: www.paragona.com