Albert Arch

For Albert Arch, who is originally from Spain, life as a doctor at North Denmark Regional Hospital is strikingly different from what he could have looked forward to in the country of his birth.

He worked as a doctor in Spain for seven years, before moving to Sweden in 2013 and then on to Denmark, finding work at North Denmark Regional Hospital.

“My opportunities as a doctor are much better here at North Denmark Regional Hospital,” says Albert. “I have more time for and have a closer relationship with my patients, and I have much greater influence on my work. As a result, I can spend more time working on the things I really want to work on.”

The close relationships with patients at North Denmark Regional Hospital give both Albert and those he is treating a positive experience of quality.

“It is very important for me to feel that I am giving the patients good treatment, and that they feel that the work I perform is of high quality. This is often confirmed to me when I’m talking with patients. My experience of working here is that the focus is on the patients,” he reports.

Free time, not overtime

The culture at the hospital – and throughout Danish society – is very attractive.

“Just as the focus is on caring for the patients, as a doctor at North Denmark Regional Hospital you also feel appreciated as a colleague,” observes Albert.

“You have working hours, and when they are over, someone else comes in and takes over from you. You are not expected to make yourself available for long hours of overtime after your normal working hours. Once you have finished your work, you are free to go – and that applies to everyone.

“That means that you can spend time with your family and friends and enjoy life – much more than I could before I came to Denmark. There is a working culture of helping each other. Everyone is flexible and takes account of each other’s wishes. And there is a lot of respect for your private life,” says Albert, evidently very happy about his working life at the hospital in North Denmark.

North Denmark can compete

As a place to call home, North Denmark can easily compete with other regions around Europe, according to the 40-year-old Spanish medic.

“North Denmark is really lovely!” enthuses Albert. “We love exploring the area. The scenery is beautiful, the sea is never far away, and there is lots to do, both in the cities such as Aalborg, where I live, and in the smaller towns.

“We like to go out and get some exercise in the countryside, and we also visit many of the museums that there are here in North Denmark and other places nearby. We think it’s a fascinating place to live. And when we want to, we venture further afield and visit other towns and museums. For instance, we have been to Museum Jorn in Silkeborg and ARoS in Aarhus, as well as Copenhagen and places outside Denmark.”

Very easy for others to visit and for us to travel abroad

“Aalborg is a really beautiful city – big, but not too big. And it only takes 30 minutes to drive from Aalborg, where I live, to where I work,” explains Albert.

“Aalborg also has its own airport, which means that we have good access to worldwide travel connections. Aalborg Airport is an international airport – only 30 minutes from North Denmark Regional Hospital – and it makes it really easy for us to travel and visit family and friends elsewhere in Europe and around the world. We like to do a lot of that.

“I have a very pleasant life as a doctor at North Denmark Regional Hospital – and I could tell you much more about that,” says Albert Arch with a smile, looking out over the sea from North Denmark Regional Hospital in Frederikshavn.

 

"North Denmark has some beautiful countryside,” says Albert Arch, who particularly enjoys cycling around the harbour.

“When you’ve finished work, you are free. There’s no overtime. And working as a doctor here is better, because you have more time for your patients than I have experienced anywhere else,” says Albert.

Bio

Albert Arch, aged 40, married 

Lives in Aalborg in North Denmark with his husband; no children.

Trained as a doctor at university in Barcelona in Spain.

Worked for two years at hospitals in Sweden.

Since 2015, has worked as a urologist at North Denmark Regional Hospital in Frederikshavn.