Health in Germany: Interview with Dr. Alexander Springer, I

The following is the first part of an interview conducted with German doctor Alexander Springer, a pediatric surgeon who is a resident at the Klinik für Neugeborenen- und Kinderchirurgie der Westfälischen Wilhelms Universität Münster (Clinic for Newborn and Children's Surgery of the Westphalian William's University of Münster). This is a multi-part undertaking, with more to follow next week.

Herr Doktor Springer earned his medical degree at the Medizinische Fakultät der Universität Leipzig (the Medical Faculty of Leipzig University). He has also studied medicine in Dublin, and had two elective periods of study in the United States. He had the "great opportunity" to meet Dr. S.J. Boley in Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. He also studied pediatrics in Miami. This November Dr. Springer will be coming back to New York, a place that he says he loves, to run a marathon.

COLLEEN THOMAS: What do you think is the biggest difference between the German and American health care systems today?

HERR DR. ALEXANDER SPRINGER: The system of social insurance. In Germany everybody must be insured.

CT: True. Do you think these differences affect the quality of health care in either country?

AS: According to several statistics, the U.S. spends the most money on health care of all the countries in the world. But often money does not correspond to the quality of medical care in the sense of life expectancy.

CT: Do you think the U.S. is spending too much money on health care, or not enough? Is money even the problem?

AS: It is a question of fairness. The question should be: who is profiting from the money, and does everybody have access to the health care system? Correct me when I am not right: When I was in the U.S.A. and somebody had to see a physician he was first asked for the payment, unless it was an emergency. My English is horrible, I assume.

CT: Ganz und gar nicht! Dein Englisch ist fast perfekt! Viel besser als mein Deutsch. [Not by any means! Your English is almost perfect; much better than my German.]

AS: Liar.

CT: For example, my grandfather never had medical insurance; instead he only paid for his bills when he was sick. He always said that health insurance was too expensive, if you add up how much you pay into it during your lifetime. A rip-off. It worked for him, but I realize that there are many people somewhere in the middle (me included) who would prefer to have health insurance rather than take the risk. My grandfather was rather well-off, so I suppose he could afford to take this chance.

The copyright of the article Health in Germany: Interview with Dr. Alexander Springer, I in Germanic Culture is owned by Colleen Thomas Ryor. Permission to republish Health in Germany: Interview with Dr. Alexander Springer, I in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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