I can’t believe my semester with Doctora Ana has come to an end! The opportunity to accompany her in the operating room and follow the progress of her patients has been incredible. Although waking up at 6:30am twice a week in addition to a full schedule of classes wasn’t always easy, I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and all that I’ve learned along the way. Ana has been an incredible person to shadow – she’s an amazing woman and her patients truly love and respect her. Thanks to Ana’s teachings and spending 11 hours a week in the hospital, my medical vocabulary has improved tremendously and my speaking and comprehension has certainly improved as well. It has also been rewarding to come home and share my experiences with my host family. In my time here, Ana and her patients have appeared on two news programs, which I’ve felt so lucky to be able to watch with my host family and know that I was a part of something special. Other students in my program have also taken an interest in my work with Ana, and it’s always exciting in class when someone asks me what I saw in the operating room on that day. I believe that the personal stories about my experiences that I have been able to share with friends and family (Spaniards and Americans) have made a difference by opening their eyes to the miracles of medicine and the importance of health care. While nothing will replace this experience, I look forward to continuing this work by participating on a medical volunteer trip to South America this winter.
What I’ve loved most about Madrid are the people here. Saying “hola” to strangers is the norm and instead of “goodbye”, it’s always “hasta luego” (see you later). Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time or greeting an old friend, a kiss on both cheeks is customary. This kind of warmth has been one of my favorite parts of living in Spain and as a true mark of this, Ana invited me to her house to eat dinner with her family during my last week in Madrid. I can’t think of a better way to have ended my internship experience!
If you'd like to watch the two videos mentioned above, please follow the links below:
Dra. Ana featured in a "Medical Miracles" program (minute 26) http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20130128/comando-actualidad-milagro-medico/605301.shtml
An interview with Álvaro, an adorable patient of Ana's who I had the privilege of interacting with several times (minute 41:45) http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/la-manana-de-la-1/manana-1-11-03-13/1715869/
- He also appeared in the newspaper: http://www.elcorreogallego.es/terras-de-santiago/ecg/alvaro-costa-mete-personal-manana-1-bolsillo/idEdicion-2013-03-12/idNoticia-795699/