In general, customer service in Sweden is pretty terrible. Usually when I call a bank or a phone company or something, I talk to people who don't seem to know anything at all. Today, I had to call my insurance company to try to get reimbursed for the registration fee for the race I couldn't run a few weeks ago because of my hip. I had been to the doctor and had a note, and I needed to know what information they needed and where I should send it.
When I called, the guy who answered sounded a little cranky, and I was thinking, this is going to be difficult. He asked me some basic questions, and when he asked me what the diagnosis had been, I said overuse, because that's what the doctor had told me. Then he asked me what I did for a living, and I told him I was a med student. He said, "oh, well have you diagnosed yourself?" and I was annoyed, thinking he was accusing me of lying about having been to the doctor. So I said "No, I went to the doctor at XX Clinic." He said "oh, I just meant maybe you had a better idea of what the specific diagnosis is, since overuse is so general." Ha! After that, the conversation went something like this:
Him: So, how far have you gotten in med school?
Me: I graduate in January, so I'm almost done.
Him: OK, so after that, you have internship and residency, right?
Me: Yep.
Him: Do you know what you're going to specialize in?
Me: No, I haven't decided yet.
Him: May I make a suggestion?
Me: Um....sure...??
Him: You should go into renal medicine. <<and then proceeds to explain why he thinks it's the most interesting thing ever>> I'm involved in lobbying work with politicians in this area.
Me: Oh, like as part of the patient organizations?
Him: Yes, I had a kidney transplant.
Me: Oh wow, it's really great that you are active in that organization and everything.
We kept chatting, he asked me where I'm from, why I live in Sweden, the usual. He then got all my information, and said that was all, we were done. Then:
Me: Don't I have to send in the papers?
Him: ....Naaah, I trust you....as long as you go into renal medicine! Kind of like blackmailing you.
Me: Haha! OK, well I promise I'll think about it.
Him: And preferably in Northern Sweden, that's where I live, and we really need more renal specialists.
Me: OK, well I'll think about it, but I think I might freeze to death and/or die of the darkness up there.
Then he starts explaining how "people in Stockholm" think it's so dark up in Northern Sweden but that's not true at all. They get lots of snow so it's really bright, and the winters are great. Um, yeah, ok buddy, sure, you keep telling yourself that!! I promised him I would consider it.
So, there you go, a friendly customer service guy who made my life easier by saying I didn't even have to send any paperwork in. As long as I go into renal medicine (which happens to be, like, the most boring type of internal medicine, in my opinion) in Northern Sweden (which is never gonna happen.) HA!
When I called, the guy who answered sounded a little cranky, and I was thinking, this is going to be difficult. He asked me some basic questions, and when he asked me what the diagnosis had been, I said overuse, because that's what the doctor had told me. Then he asked me what I did for a living, and I told him I was a med student. He said, "oh, well have you diagnosed yourself?" and I was annoyed, thinking he was accusing me of lying about having been to the doctor. So I said "No, I went to the doctor at XX Clinic." He said "oh, I just meant maybe you had a better idea of what the specific diagnosis is, since overuse is so general." Ha! After that, the conversation went something like this:
Him: So, how far have you gotten in med school?
Me: I graduate in January, so I'm almost done.
Him: OK, so after that, you have internship and residency, right?
Me: Yep.
Him: Do you know what you're going to specialize in?
Me: No, I haven't decided yet.
Him: May I make a suggestion?
Me: Um....sure...??
Him: You should go into renal medicine. <<and then proceeds to explain why he thinks it's the most interesting thing ever>> I'm involved in lobbying work with politicians in this area.
Me: Oh, like as part of the patient organizations?
Him: Yes, I had a kidney transplant.
Me: Oh wow, it's really great that you are active in that organization and everything.
We kept chatting, he asked me where I'm from, why I live in Sweden, the usual. He then got all my information, and said that was all, we were done. Then:
Me: Don't I have to send in the papers?
Him: ....Naaah, I trust you....as long as you go into renal medicine! Kind of like blackmailing you.
Me: Haha! OK, well I promise I'll think about it.
Him: And preferably in Northern Sweden, that's where I live, and we really need more renal specialists.
Me: OK, well I'll think about it, but I think I might freeze to death and/or die of the darkness up there.
Then he starts explaining how "people in Stockholm" think it's so dark up in Northern Sweden but that's not true at all. They get lots of snow so it's really bright, and the winters are great. Um, yeah, ok buddy, sure, you keep telling yourself that!! I promised him I would consider it.
So, there you go, a friendly customer service guy who made my life easier by saying I didn't even have to send any paperwork in. As long as I go into renal medicine (which happens to be, like, the most boring type of internal medicine, in my opinion) in Northern Sweden (which is never gonna happen.) HA!
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