Daphne, GP from the Netherlands
My name is Daphne and I am a General Practitioner from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I came to New Zealand in October 2018 and began to work as a GP in Gisborne, on the East Coast of the North Island. The process to come to New Zealand took me a couple of months and the most challenging part was waiting on the Medical Council’s approval and the refiling of those documents after repeatedly checking in with my referees. By far the easiest part of the process was keeping in touch with Prudence.
My first impressions of New Zealand was that it was very diverse, from the nature, to the people, to the healthcare system, from both perspectives as a GP and as a patient, through to its bureaucracy. I immediately loved working and living in Gisborne and my colleagues were very friendly and welcoming. In essence there are not a lot of major differences between my work as a GP in The Netherlands versus my current role here in New Zealand. Healthcare standards are high and on the same level, or close to the same level, as in The Netherlands. I have found that the financing of the healthcare system is quite different which for example can cause patients to delay seeking medical attention.
To me the best parts of New Zealand are the nature, especially the Gisborne beaches and the good people that live here. What I miss the most about home are my friends, family and good cheese! My advice, if you are planning to come to NZ, is to practice your patience with all the waiting on the Medical Council’s processes.
