The Experience of a Lifetime - Medical Internship

My internship program located in Madrid, Spain, through Adelante Abroad was absolutely phenomenal. I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to work in an orthopedics/trauma hospital called Clinica CEMTRO, alongside some of the top orthopedic surgeons in Europe. There, I was exposed to the ins and outs of life as a surgeon, as I spent my days shadowing doctors both in patient consultations and in the operating room. As a result, I often ended up working between 9-14 hours a day; instead, of only 4-5 as I had expected. I was able leave whenever I wanted, however, I wanted to make the most of my 3-month internship. It was also by working such long hours, that I was truly able to build better relationships with my colleagues and supervisors.

Prior to beginning my internship, I studied Spanish throughout high school and then for two weeks at the Eureka language school. Despite this however, I still had great difficulty communicating with the patients, nurses and doctors. As a result, this working environment truly challenged me to improve my Spanish language abilities. Now that I have completed my program, I can confidently say that I am able to read, write, and converse at a much more advanced level The knowledge that I gained in the past three months is incomparable to that which I gained after 6 years of studying the language in school.

During my time in Madrid, I lived in a quaint apartment located in the heart of city. Constantly surrounded by people, cultures and attractions, I was able to truly experience its vibrant nature. It is often said that New York is "The City That Never Sleeps", but anyone who says that, has clearly never gone to Madrid. Whether it was going for tapas and cerveza (beer), spending the day at one of the many museums, or dancing the night away at a nearby salsa club, there was never a dull moment.

Overall, this was a truly invaluable experience, and I can now say that I certainly want to become a doctor, and possibly a surgeon due to my internship experience. I would definitely encourage anyone seeking career exploration, an adventure, and personal growth to pursue an internship position through Adelante.