2e uitgave 2015 Crossing borders A study visit from Slovenia BY MARIJA PETEK ŠTER, GP IN SLOVENIA My name is Marija Petek Šter, general practitioner and associate professor of family medicine at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. I came to a point in my career in which I found out that it would be useful for me personally and for the development of the discipline in Slovenia, to have a study visit abroad. I presented the idea of having a three-month study visit to the head of the Department of Family Medicine in Ljubljana, prof. Igor Švab. He agreed with my idea and strongly recommended me to visit the FHML in Maastricht. In the preparatory phase of the visit – after a few emails and a short trip to Maastricht – I realised that we had made a wise decision: Maastricht is the right place to learn. I started making the preparations for my stay by discussing the programme of the visit with prof. Job Metsemakers, the head of the Department. Furthermore, I had to organise my personal life since I am a mother of three children in the period of puberty. I also needed to make arrangements for my (teaching) practice; together with the trainees, I am taking care of 2200 patients. Finally, I had to make arrangements with my Department. What I have observed and learnt Good organisation of the Department is of utmost importance to enable a safe and encouraging working environment. I found out that the staff members in Maastricht are aware of their responsibilities and, on the other hand, they have enough autonomy. This allows them to actively participate in the process of decisionmaking. Satisfied employees make the atmosphere at the Department positive and friendly - you can feel it. The health care system in the Netherlands works well, the level of service is on a high professional level. Sometimes I found the general practitioners even ‘too strict’ in adhering to the Dutch national guidelines. I very much support the idea of guidelines as an instrument of improving the quality of care, but it might be necessary to take into account the professional expertise of the physician and patient preferences as well. The process of teaching based on EBM is a significant advantage – a medical student in the sixth year, could work almost like a physician. In the FHML in Maastricht, they learn for life, not just for getting an enormous amount of knowledge. Coaching students and researchers (undergraduates and PhD students) is very supportive and student-friendly. The role of a teacher here is not trying to find weak spots in students’ knowledge and skills, but rather leading students to reach their goals. With a positive student-centred approach, a teacher can contribute to the student’s selfesteem and can serve as a positive role model. To conclude, my study visit in Maastricht was a very useful experience, and it will definitely influence my work in the future. Hopefully, some ideas will be implemented in our teaching, research and practice. I would like to thank the staff of the Department of Family Medicine and the Postgraduate Specialty Training. I appreciated your hospitality and willingness to talk with me, to give me advice and help, or sometimes just to chat with me about the similarities and differences between our countries. 5 op één lijn 52
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