Cerca Abroad

I’ll start with my coordinators – they were always willing to advise myself and the other girls places to visit around Athens. My airport pickup was swift and my apartment was cute and the perfect size for me. It was about a 10 minute walk from the hospital and 15 minutes from the metro station. By far the best part was meeting the two other girls in the program, we instantly clicked and are planning to meet again in the next coming months! It was crazy that they were both from the west coast as well. As far as the program at the hospital went, I spent my days either in cardiology, radiology, surgery, hepatology, internal medicine, physical therapy or neurology. It was great to get a glimpse of the physician’s day to day procedures while learning some more Greek! Most of the doctors were super caring and welcoming. My favourite specialities were surgery and neurology; I could really see myself pursuing a career in neurology! I met the BEST doctors in neurology and the machines to diagnose the disorders were fascinating. I truly learned so much the last two days of the program, and I observed a case with a brain tumor and consulting neurosurgeon. Super cool. Overall, I had a really great time on the days as physicians were willing to teach and entertain conversation, plus the other girls I met were a huge bonus.

My main role during this internship was to observe, learn, and ask questions about dentistry. I was able to shadow a general dentist, oral surgeon, and prosthodontist at the clinic. Some examples of procedures included general cleanings, crowns/bridges/dentures, implants, root canals, and tooth extractions. I was also able to learn about new technologies within the field, including guided implant placements. Since I do not currently hold any professional dental certification, tasks were not able to be performed on the patients. However, I was able to help out with operatory setup/clean-up, and sterilization. I was able to witness a variety of dental procedures and understand how dentistry in Greece varies slightly from dentistry in Canada. All of this knowledge and experience has helped me to solidify my career aspirations within dentistry. Some specific skills include dental terminology, and interpersonal skills/patient-professional interactions. My favourite memory was being able to witness an abutment placement (for a dental implant). This was the most complicated case I had seen thus far, and my supervisors explained everything and answered questions, while performing this procedure. After completing my internship experience, I now feel on a personal level, more mature and responsible. Travelling on my own in a new country has been an eye-opening and welcome experience. Furthermore, I now feel more confident in my interactions with others. I gained a wealth of knowledge from my two weeks of shadowing and solidified that this path is what I want for my future career.

I enjoyed everything in the internship - it was 100% worth it, I learned a lot and met new people that were amazingly helpful. From day one, I was made to feel like I’d always been part of the team. They taught and helped me in all ways - I honestly cannot find any substandard points to comment on, because this team gave me everything they could. I found that the locals enjoyed each moment by assisting you with happiness, which made my adaptation to the placement easier. I got what I expected from this internship, as it helped me to improve my own skills, while learning new skills that can help in the future. The doctors taught me how to deliver the ideas of the treatment to the patient, how I should communicate with patients, and how to implement a treatment plan (from the first step, through till the final step). This is going to help in my future postgraduate studies, because treatment plans are so important. My favorite memory from the internship was when we helped a patient by replacing his posterior teeth. This memory will stay with me for a long time, because it made a huge impact on the patient’s quality of life.

I conducted my Medical internship in Athens, Greece, in a top private hospital with cutting-edge technology. It was one of the most impressive organizations I have ever seen in healthcare. My internship role as a medical trainee was to assist doctors during their clinical activities and to observe them during surgery and endoscopy. My favourite memory from my internship experience was the prostate biopsy that the urologist let me perform under his supervision. It was a challenging, important and new experience. I also had the chance to observe one of the best hematologists in Europe at work, they were an amazing supervisor, teaching me a lot! As a medical student, this internship supported my long term goals, as I gained a lot of new clinical and hands-on experience, while also further developing skills I already had. Everything I learned during the hospital internship placement will be useful in my future career as a clinician. It will also help me to complete my medical degree.

I learned what it is like to be a physician every day and I got to rotate in all the hospital's departments and gain a solid perspective of my medical career path. The hospital staff were very friendly and showed us many things. The coordinating team were very organized and they made us feel at home. Our apartment was in a safe area, clean and close to the city center and public transport. Athens is a very safe city with so many things to see and do. The food in Greece was amazing and our coordinators gave us a lot of information to experience Athens as locals do.