University of Crete School of Medicine - Cardiology Rotation

 I just finished my first week in Greece.  I've had the opportunity to discuss the healthcare system with native citizens.  One positive is that every citizen has access to care since it is provided by the government.  There is a series of community hospitals in smaller towns and larger academic hospitals in the cities.  Another feature is that outpatient clinics are located inside the hospital.  I have seen large groups of people waiting in the hospital hallways in order to be seen at these clinics.    The taxes required for the pay for the care are high.  The government does not pay the physicians who work in the hospitals well.  People often have to wait for a long time in order to receive care.  I was told that people have the option to pay extra for private insurance and receive care at private hospitals.  Since doctors are not paid well, there is an incentive for them to train and work in countries other than Greece....

 When I first arrived at the University of Crete Hospital, I immediately noticed that most of the signs that provided directions were written in Greek.  All of the patient charts were written in Greek.  The only thing that I was able to read in the hospital were the ECGs.  For me to understand what was going on, one of the Residents or attendings would have to give me an explanation in English.  Being in this position made me realized how difficult it must be for non-English speakers who are seeking medical care in the United States.   I immediately began noticing some differences between the American and Greek healthcare systems.  In America, patients generally have their own room or share a room with one person.  In the Greek hospital, rooms are large, male/female patients are separated, and the contain 3-6 patients per room.  There is a lot less privacy for patients in the Greek hospital.  I have also noticed that patients and fa...

I am getting ready to travel to Heraklion, Crete in order to do a Cardiology rotation at the University of Crete School of Medicine.  I am excited to learn about Greek Culture and its impact on health and medical decision making.  Since I am going into Internal Medicine, the opportunity to learn about cardiology will also be extremely valuable.