AFTER the sad news about Brexit, and more lately, about leaders being elected in the US who wish to close borders even more and raise walls, I want to share with you my experience of working as a foreigner in France.
As I mentioned in an earlier piece, Working as a pharmacist in post-communist Romania, I have lived the majority of my adult life in an Eastern European country. Before 1989, although Romania was not in the Soviet Union (contrary to what many people believe), we were in the Eastern Bloc and in the Varsovia Pact, an obscure country from a geopolitical point of view. Now, almost 27 years after the fall of communism, unfortunately, we remain obscure in the eyes of the developed world, and even in our own perspectives.
Nonetheless, Romania has provided great things to mankind over the ages. Just to mention a few: the discovery of insulin by Dr Nicolae Paulescu; the invention of modern aeronautics and jet planes by Henri Coanda; the discovery of ribosomes by Nobel-prize winner George E. Palade; creating a new field of study called cybernetics by Stefan Odlobeja; and many others.
So, even though Romania has never been (and probably never will be) a leading economic power, it still possesses the raw essence of greatness through its people. And people can tap this essence when they are in the right environment.
Career development
I finished my pharmacy studies in 2011 and started working straight away as a community pharmacist; a great experience that helped me learn a lot of things about working with patients, alongside colleagues, and being emphatic, assertive and understanding.
But, since I am dynamic and curious by nature, I wanted to experience other sides of my profession. So, I went on to take the national residency exam and started working as a clinical pharmacy resident alongside doctors in our country’s hospitals. Another great experience of which I can tell you later, in another article.
It has been my life-long dream to teach, so I decided to try this too. I started teaching physical-chemistry to pharmacy students — it was great. I was connecting with them, getting their attention and at the same time I was listening to them and observing them; I was curious to know how they viewed the world. I was ready for my next step.
Two years after starting my work as I pharmacist I decided to move abroad, as I had started another professional experience (my 4th so far) in medical research by enrolling in a PhD program. Unfortunately there weren’t many opportunities to work in a research lab in Romania.
Leap of faith
However, one day, after failing to get a grant I had applied for, I was feeling very demotivated about my research and career perspectives, so I decided to take a leap and searched online for research teams working in the same therapeutic area. After a few attempts, I found someone (a very important doctor from France that was leading teams and creating projects worth millions of euros) and I sent him an email — just like that, out of the blue, out of nowhere, without knowing him.
Actually, his family name caught my eye, it was Romanian. Nonetheless, all the conversations were in English, I did not want to fully use my ‘Romanian card’. Other than the fact that he was leading a hepatology department in the biggest hospital in Paris, I had never met him and I did not know a lot about him. So, I went out on a limb and I explained my situation. I waited nervously, but after just 2 days he answered.
I was amazed — one of the leading hepatologists in Europe had answered an e-mail from someone he had never met and was prepared to help. I couldn’t believe my luck. Now, almost 3 years after these events, I know that, if someone needs my help (even if I don’t know them) I will try to get to help him. Afterall, I’ve been working in a research lab for 3 years thanks, to an e-mail sent into the abyss of the internet. And this, my friends, is called providence.
A little foreign difficulty
Is it hard-working abroad? Of course, it is. Language, culture, a way of thinking, society, weather — these are just a few of the factors that will surely differ from the normal conditions you are used to in your native land. If you add the fact that you need to bring yourself up to date with what is considered normal and accepted in your new country by your new colleagues and friends, being a foreigner and working as a foreigner takes up all you time and energy you give it.
So what are the upsides? Well, if you are moving (like I did) from a less to a more developed country, then you have some upsides:
- Public transport — I cannot reiterate enough how lucky the West is to have good, reliable, functioning public transport.
- Art and culture — depending on the country and city, of course, but I have the impression that art is considered not necessary a luxury, but a necessity in Western Europe.
- Medical services — if you have ever been hospitalized in Romania, you know what I’m talking about. Medical services in the West are just better, no doubt.
- Good manners and education — when I moved to France, I was so surprised to not see people being rude to each other. Don’t get me wrong, French people can be upset with each other, but they have such a polite way of solving even the most upsetting situations, it’s absolutely great to witness this.
- Last but not least (and this is specific maybe to France?), THE FOOD — if you want to retire, and live a life of just eating fine food and drinking fine drinks, move to France, no better way to Bacchus-up your life.
Integration advice
So, what should pharmacists (and people of any profession for that matter) be aware of when moving to another country to work?
Well, first you need to understand that not everyone thinks the same way you do. And, the further away you move for your new job, the more different you will find the culture and ideology there. So, be prepared and accept that people are just different, it will save you a lot of headaches.
Secondly, be prepared to take on some stereotyping at the beginning. Not because people don’t like where you come from, or yourself even, but because people are afraid of what they do not understand. And that fear will turn to generalization, and even anger if not treated correctly on your part.
You can first prove that you are not a threat (physically and emotionally) and that you are good at your job. When people see a good, trained professional who is also well-mannered and civilized coming from a country where they thought there was no electricity, they will be amazed, they will respect you and they will integrate you into their professional and personal lives.
Lastly, always smile and be polite. The best business card that you should always have with you is a smile. People respond much better to a smile. People respond much better to politeness. Increase your chances of creating bonds to the people there by giving a little more than receiving, at least at the beginning, and then, as the relationships develop, things will balance themselves out.
World wide web
Most importantly living abroad has taught me that, even though my nationality is Romanian, we are first and foremost humans living in a global community. I left Romania as a nationalist and I still am proud of my Moldavian roots, but I much happier to meet people and to connect with them no matter where they come from. This is the beauty of the world today.
There will always be a fear of the unknown, of other people, nations, but a fear of the human spirit should not exist! Borders can maybe protect us from the harm of the exterior, but they also deprive us of the incredible experience of meeting someone completely different from you and learning things you never imagined you could learn. This is the beauty of living in the world today, as a pharmacist working abroad.
Andrei Baiceanu is a PhD student in Paris and assistant professor at Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania