I was fortunate enough to spend 2 weeks at a practice in Veghel, a small town situated in the southern Netherlands, on exchange through an EU Leonardo Grant Scheme for AiT's (GPs in training) and First5 GPs (those within 5 years after qualification). I had chosen the Netherlands on the basis of my command of the Dutch language and in recognition of the subtle cultural and language nuances within every general practice consultation.
The Leonardo da Vinci Programme is part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme which funds organisations in the vocational education sector to work with partners from across Europe. As part of this, the RCGP Junior International Committee had been awarded funding for up to 30 young GP participants.
Apart from ‘surviving’ cycling on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, Dutch general practice is an excellent example of an alternative primary care …