Due to my work, I feel completely at home in Denmark. When I arrived in Denmark in 1982, I was already a qualified doctor and had worked as such in Vietnam. But I was told I should not expect to be able to work in medicine in Denmark. As a foreigner it was virtually impossible to obtain an authorisation, but I worked hard to learn the language and to get my qualifications approved in Denmark. After five years, I started as a temp at Odense University Hospital. Over the next few years, I worked at many of the hospitals in Denmark, and it has given me an excellent reputation and network. Today I am a senior consultant in radiology at Aalborg University Hospital. I am proud that I have fought to work in my profession, and today I help other foreigners do the same. For me being a doctor is a vocation. Culturally I feel that I am dutybound to make a difference for the community, which, I feel, makes my attitude different from that of my Danish colleagues.
To begin with, when I was in Denmark I thought of nothing else but returning to my profession. But as I got established, I felt an urge to engage in the cultural life too. So, since 2012 I have worked with the Vietnamese Culture Association in Aalborg. I think it is important that the young generation, born and raised in Denmark, also knows their Vietnamese roots. We reach out to them and their children with various events and language lessons. If we are to be complete human beings, we must know our full background, as otherwise we cannot perform our best.
63 / male / married and has a child / senior consultant / Aalborg / from Vietnam / came to Denmark in 1982 / residence permit 1982