German questions

EoghanIRL

Hello,

I have a few questions about healthcare in Germany.
In hospitals and clinics in Germany is it always German that is spoken. Is there any English spoken there?
Would I need to be fluent in German to work as HCP over there? Would it be difficult to learn complex terms and procedures etc in German..
I have never been to Germany and my German is limited mainly to what I learned in the leaving cert 2014. What is the best way to continue learning?


Just trying to keep my options as open as possible. I am trying to figure , is it worth improving my german over the coming years..

Thanks

peasant

I'm no healthcare professional nor have I lived in Germany for a while, but
I think the short answer to your question is yes ...fluent German would be essential.

You'd get a certain amount of foreigners among doctors, nurses and patients but that doesn't necessarily mean that English would establish itself as a sort of second, inofficial language because all these people would have to learn German to make themselves understood ...not English.

EoghanIRL

Thanks for your reply Peasant.
I thought fluent German would be essential and am not surprised. It only makes sense when you think about it. I presume there are exams I would have to take to practice in Germany so.

I enjoyed lc German.
German speakers seem to be sought after in most job adverts I see. Seeing as it is so valuable, I think I will use my time during the summer to advance my knowledge(no time during college).

Questions: would I need to spend time in Germany to become fluent?
Does anyone have any experience with a German club in college?

John C

Hallo Eoghan,

In answer your questions about healthcare in Germany.
Q1: In hospitals and clinics in Germany is it always German that is spoken?
Almost always but not always, Nurses spoke Russian, Turkish, Greek, Croatian and more languages.
The doctors all spoke German, most Turkish, Croatian and Greek doctors spoke in their native language to patients from above countries. When they spoke among themselves they spoke German.

Q2: Is there any English spoken there? Yes! Some patients are spoken to in English. They are usually from the Gulf countries, India, America or Ireland.

Q3: Would I need to be fluent in German to work as HCP over there? YES.

Q4: Would it be difficult to learn complex terms and procedures etc in German? YES!

Q5: What is the best way to continue learning [German ]? Holidays in Germany. Book into B/B with a German speaking family and speak only German. There are more tips in this forum.

Q6: is it worth improving my german over the coming years? YES

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My only experiences of a German Doctor speaking English to a person, who could only speak English.
1. Mr. Murphy had an injured leg, we went to A & E. The doctor spoke in English, communication was ok. Mr. Murphy mentioned that he had a rare bone disease. The doctor did not get the meaning. I told the Doctor in German; all ok.

2. An Irish lady Ms. Smith injured her knee. Her mates mollycoddled her saying it was a sprain. Clinic's diagnosis: Sie hat einen Riss und nicht eine Zerrung. She has a rupture and not a sprain. I told Ms. Smith the extent of her injury.
The clinic staff spoke very good english. When it came to very specific information they told me in German which I passsed onto her.

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When you next send an enquiry to this German forum could you please explain abbreviations like HCP. HCP= Health Care Professional ?

Yours John

EoghanIRL

Hi John,

I found your replies very helpful, thanks.
HCP was an oversight on my behalf.

I have decided to continue with my learning over the coming years.


Vielen Dank!

katydid

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Questions: would I need to spend time in Germany to become fluent?

Depends on what time you have. I did German in school and university, but my spoken German was awful - I went to Germany and worked there for the summer in a café in a small town. I learned more German that summer than I did in the whole time in school. When you sort out the oral side of it, the rest of it comes much easier.

I'm a language teacher now, and I always encourage students to go away to the country and work or spend time there with the native speakers in some way. On their own, not with a friend, because then you have to speak German. And ideally not a big city, where people will speak English more. Go to one of the rural areas like Mecklenburg where English would be less widely known