I'm certainly not a fan of going to the doctor, no matter where I am on the planet. I've had to go often in the last few years, and I hope I will rarely have to go for the rest of my life.

With the flu getting to almost everyone here in the Netherlands, there are some who will be visiting the doctor's office for the first time. Though I believe 99.9% of the doctors in the Netherlands can speak English and they usually happily offer to speak English to you, there may be a few words you will hear or read in Dutch while you are waiting. If you go with your partner/spouse to the doctor's office and your partner/spouse can speak Dutch, the doctor may turn to them to explain more in depth the situation in Dutch. Speaking from experience here. Here are a few of those key words you will want to know:

• Accident = Ongeluk; ongeval
• Ambulance = Ambulance
• Anesthesia = Anesthesie; narcose; verdoving
• Anesthesiologist = Anesthesioloog
• Appointment = Afspraak
• Aspirin = Aspirine
• Bandage = Verband
• Band-aid = Wondpleister
• Blood pressure = Bloeddruk
• Blood test = Bloedonderzoek
• Consultation = Consult; overleg; raadpleging
• Doctor = Arts; dokter
• Emergency room = Eerstehulp[afdeling]
• Examination = Examen; onderzoek
• File = Dossier
• First aid kit = EHBO: Eerste Hulp Bij Ongelukken
• Health = Gezondheid; gezondheidstoestand
• Health care = Gezondheidszorg
• Health care center = Medisch centrum
• Health insurance = Ziektekostenverzekering
• Hospital = Hospitaal; Ziekenhuis
• Iodine = Jodium
• Medical = Medisch
• Medicine = Geneesmiddel; medicijn[en]
• Nurse = Verpleegkundige; verpleegster; verpleger
• Office = Kantoor
• Paracetamol = Paracetamol
• Patient = Patiënt
• Pharmacy = Apotheek
• Plaster cast = Gipsverband
• Prescription = Recept; prescriptie; voorschrift
• Prescription medication = Geneesmiddel op recept
• Referral = Verwijzing
• Sample = Monster; proefstuk; specimen
• Shot = Injectie
• Specialist = Specialist
• Stethescope = Stethoscoop
• Surgery = Chirurgie
• Surgeon = Chirurg; heelkundige
• Syringe = Injectiespuit
• Test = Onderzoek; test
• X-ray = Röntgenfoto

A tip, from experience: If you bring your partner/spouse along to an appointment and the doctor turns to your partner or spouse to explain further about something in Dutch, don't be afraid to ask if they can translate what is being said if you don't understand. After all, it is an appointment for you. I also sometimes have to remind myself how the treatments and mannerisms may or will differ in the Dutch culture vs my own where I was raised. It doesn't mean they are doing it wrong, but it does stand out after some 30+ years of having it done one way and to suddenly see it being done another way. It may even seem they are skipping things. . . Just ask them to do it for you, if you feel it's needed. Whatever it is. I am sure many raised in the Dutch culture feel the same when it comes to their experiences in medical offices in America.

While I was always irritated in America for OB/GYN appointments, sitting on the examination table in my little gown, waiting for the doctor to come check on me in the examination room, my experience here in the Netherlands with physical examinations has been different. . . Some may experience the procedures differently, but I am sharing my personal experiences which are coincedentally almost similar to any other woman here who I've spoken with. Here is what I experienced on my first visit to the OB/GYN: For a woman, seeing her OB/GYN is important. It's also for many women a very personal experience which she doesn't want to feel uncomfortable about. The clinics I went to for women in America were always similar. They have been, so far, the same here: Everything in the office/waiting room was very clean and sterile. The waiting room was reasonably child friendly. Filled with magazines to read while you wait. Some doctors have their offices in a home, which has been remodeled inside to suit a doctor's facilities. Some doctors have their offices inside of hospitals or clinics. My OB/GYN is in a clinic. When it's time for your appointment, they lead you to the room where the examination will take place. They leave you alone. I've never had my blood pressure read, and nobody has ever weighed me. For an examination at the OB/GYN, I am told to take off my clothes. There is no little gown for you to put on, folded up on the examination table, like what you get in America. As the doctor closed the door, I laughed silently to myself and only took my shoes and pants off. The rest stayed on. I then sat down on the edge of the examination table, laying my pants over my lap. I thought maybe her English wasn't so sharp, and 'take off your clothes' wasn't what she really meant to say. Or maybe she'd forgotten about me? She closed the door behind herself and meant to go get me a little gown to put on, but she forgot? No. And the room was chilly, so I wasn't about to sit for what I thought [due to experience in America] to be a half hour before my doctor truly would seeing me. The OB/GYN came into the room after about 5 minutes and happily spoke English to me, though her English was quite broken. I was just happy she was speaking English to me so I could understand, and it was fine. She asked why I hadn't taken everything off. I was embarrassed. I told her I wondered if there was a gown I could put on. She looked at me, puzzled. "I need to do the examination," she said, skipping ahead. So I had to undress right then and there. Special note: I had to ask her to take a pap smear from me, when I realized the exam was over and she hadn't done so. This was something we did yearly in America, and usually the most dreaded part of the appointment. After the exam was complete, I redressed and she led me to her office. She was thorough and did her job well, minus the part where I needed to ask her to do a pap smear. Overall, the experience was fast, but just not as comfortable as the experiences I'd had so often in America.

My only other suggestion is you should bring someone with you who speaks English and Dutch. During your examination, they can wait for you in the waiting room. Or if it's only a consult where the doctor is speaking to you and not examining you, they can come into the office with you. I've gone to doctor appointments alone and there were some miscommunications. Though these were minor, it would've been easily avoidable if I had someone with me who spoke both English and Dutch.