NEWS

’In the third year I contracted asthma as a result of of the stress’

Kyriaki Paroutoglou has always wanted to be a doctor, influenced by her family who are all in the profession, but she realizes that the future is grim. In her third year she contracted asthma from psychosomatic causes. Once she becomes a doctor there is more hardship to come, as she will have to take an oath and wait on a priority list at the prefecture. She does not believe though that a doctor’s status has declined. Paroutoglou has chosen to specialize as a gynaecologist. «It is more difficult for a woman to become a doctor. She has to take into account things that are easier for men. In her 30s, a woman is in a transitional stage in her medical career but also at her most reproductive age.» When graduates have finished waiting and obtained their specialization they are over 30 and have to start working. «A hospital is one solution, the pay is low and there’s more waiting. Another solution is a private surgery or a private clinic. What’s certain is that an average doctor will never be rich, but they won’t go hungry.» Schools do not give enough information and it is standard practice to encourage good students to take up medical studies. Where do you find motivation to continue? «You stitch someone up and they say thank you. Maybe that’s where the motivation is. I like what I do, I like being able to give. If you don’t like it you can’t take it.» Psychiatry studies Evi Tsigkaropoulou, 33, first enrolled in medical laboratory studies at the Technical College (TEI) of Thessaloniki and then entered medical school after taking an entry exam. She had wanted to do psychiatry but says if she had known what she was in for she would have chosen something different. «There are only two nice moments when studying to be a doctor: when you start and when you finish.» She did not have to wait long for a provincial internship as the place she applied for was not in demand. In psychiatry there are three specialization stages: internal medicine for six months, neurology for one year and psychiatry for three-and-a-half years. When she finished her internship she found a post in Katerini, her home town, but discovered that she would have to wait two years before she could start neurology. She was about to pack it in but then changed her mind. She will start neurology in 2008 and is currently in Athens. While waiting for a specialization place, most young doctors work at sport events, in private clinics or beauty institutes. Evi works in one of the latter and also teaches at a vocational educational institute (IEK) which she finds highly rewarding. «Sometimes I feel I can’t take it anymore. When I finish neurology in 2009 I will start the third and last stage of the specialization but I don’t know when that will be. If I have to wait a long time I might go abroad. Many of my fellow students have gone abroad. England is full of Greek doctors.» Worth all the hassle Studying to be a doctor was Ajianna Dassou ‘s dream. She is calm and hopeful about the future. «If you like the school then you can overcome the problems.» But not all her fellow students share her enthusiasm. Although it is still early days she is interested in becoming a gynaecologist. No one in her family is a doctor and she has chosen to do this because it is something she wants, unlike other students who were influenced by family and ended up leaving medical school as it was not what they really wanted to do. Ajianna is prepared for the hassle ahead of her: «I will like it because I will be fighting for something I love.» Nadia Diamanti, 26, finished medical school in 2006 without any delays and has chosen internal medicine as a specialization, which means she won’t finish until 2017 when she is 36 years old. «There are too many doctors at Greek universities and even more come back from universities abroad. Many choose a specialization that takes less time rather than one they would like to do. I would like to have studied dermatology, but that means finishing my studies even later.» Nadia believed medical school would secure her quality of life and job satisfaction. Naturally, after all the difficulties she has encountered, her initial enthusiasm has waned. She says many of her fellow students have abandoned their studies or chosen something simpler, such as microbiology.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.