Catherine de Jong
| Catherine de Jong | |||
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Catherine de Jong, 2014.
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| Born |
Catharina Jantina de Jong 1956 Leiden |
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| Residence | Amsterdam | ||
| Nationality |
 Dutch
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| Alma mater | University of Groningen | ||
| Occupation | Anesthesiologist, skeptical activist | ||
| Known for | Chairing the Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij | ||
| Spouse(s) | Frans Klein | ||
| Children | 2 | ||
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Catharina Jantina (Catherine) de Jong (born 1956) is a Dutch anesthesiologist, drug rehab physician, intensivist, since 2009 board member of the Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij (VtdK), between 2011–2015 as chair, and board member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO).
In 1975, De Jong began studying law, but did not complete it. From 1977 until 1987, she studied medicine in Groningen, subsequently taking a course on anesthesiology in Sheffield in 1988. Thereafter she specialised in anesthesiology at the University Medical Center Groningen from 1989 until 1994, finally completing her education as an intensivist at the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis in Amsterdam from 1994 until 1996. From 1996 until 1997, De Jong worked as an anesthesiologist and intensivist at the Sint Lucas Andreas Ziekenhuis, from 1997 until 1999 as anesthesiologist at the Academic Medical Center. From 2000 onwards, De Jong worked as a freelance anesthesiologist in several hospitals and clinics, and as an anesthesiologist and physician at the drug rehabilitation clinic Miroya from 2002 until 2012. Since 2007 until present, De Jong is employed as an anesthesiologist in a dental surgery for children in Amsterdam.
During her study of anesthesiology, two incidents made her aware of the dangers of alternative medicine: the first case was a 48-year-old woman with breast cancer, who had put her faith in a treatment by a naturopath, but whose condition had become hopeless by the time she was hospitalised. The second case was that of a 13-year-old boy, who initially merely suffered from sinusitis, but which had grown to encephalitis, because his anthroposophical parents refused to have antibiotics administered to him. 'When people cause unnecessary harm to themselves or their children because of their decisions, then it gives me a knot in my stomach. I find it incredibly hard to deal with,' said De Jong, who emphasised making 'wise, rational choices' regarding health. She opines that alternative therapists merely give their clients a 'medically empty treatment ritual', make them dependent, waste their time and money and miss the opportunity to properly inform them.
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Wikipedia