When you look back at your time with us at Canadian Medical so far, have the expectations that you had when you joined us been fulfilled?

I’ve had a good experience here; it’s a major life change. I work at the Apeiron clinic, which is beautiful inside and out. In many respects, I have more advanced equipment at the outpatient clinic than at the hospital. The upkeep of the premises, including cleaning, is flawless. It’s not just the fact that a nicely equipped outpatient clinic is a dignified environment for the staff, but also for the clients, who thus feel comfortable here. I never cease to appreciate that.

Otherwise, as far as the medical work itself is concerned, what I do here is of course somewhat different from working at a hospital. However, I still have interesting cases here too and it’s always about the priorities that the doctor sets. For me, it’s important to have the good feeling that comes from helping people while also working in a nice environment – and having free time. In addition to that, I’ve had to learn something new here, particularly with respect to the development of my communication skills, empathetic conversation, taking a personal approach and so on. It involves a change of style and how you view your role as a doctor. Clients need empathic psychological support, which is often just as helpful as medication. I think this is still undervalued in the Czech healthcare system, as we are sometimes too technical. Personally, I consider communicativeness and a personal approach to be an equally important part of our work as doctors and I’m glad that we emphasise that at Canadian Medical.

MUDr. Vojtěch Poštulka, cardiologist at Canadian Medical