lizjoeco-blog

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Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity

Hippocrates

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Studying Abroad in Sevilla 

 I am beyond grateful to the Terry Foundation Scholarship group and my second home for having given me the opportunity to study abroad anywhere in the world. After countless hours of searching and budgeting for a program that aligned with my career goals, I found Global Education and Career Development Abroad. This program had everything I was so feverishly looking for- an internship at a hospital that would allow me to have one hundred twenty contact hours with Spanish physicians and observe surgeries I would have never had the opportunity to see back in the U.S., a homestay with meals, and Spanish classes at a language center that were brief but created long-lasting international friendships. I applied for Global Ed as quickly as I could and with the support of the Terry Foundation and Houston Endowment Scholarship, I was able to experience independent study abroad for six weeks. So what exactly did that experience look like? This was my first time in Europe, so it was a bit of a culture shock. The first week in Sevilla, I was homesick, stressed, uncomfortable due to the heat wave, and felt culturally unaccepted (read about my thoughts on that here). Additionally, I felt a strange mix of anxiousness and excitement in not being able to speak the language with one hundred percent grammatical accuracy. I knew that if I let myself be vulnerable to criticism and feedback that I would be able to learn more from my mistakes. The ambiguity of a new day and new experiences at the hospital really did test my ability be flexible and to speak and understand with conscious effort in order to adjust to my new environment. Being self-aware of my personality characteristics (ESFP in Myers-Brigg) also really helped me understand the way I handle new situations with self-assurance and adaptability. Often times I would find myself having to explain myself in broken Spanish- why I was here, why I wanted to be a doctor and not a nurse, and why Sevilla of all the places in Spain I could have studied in. Although my Spanish is not perfect, I came to realize overtime that I was able confidently explain to others with confidence and ease why I was here and what my goal was. I am here to experience something I would never get to have in the US. I am here to learn, to thrust myself headfirst into an uncomfortable situation and to grow as a result. I am here to improve my ability to speak, understand, and apply a language that is so pivotal to the medical world. Studying abroad is truly liberating and gives you the opportunity to learn so much about yourself- the good and the bad. I learned that while abroad it is sometimes difficult to be balanced because of the fear of missing out (or FOMO). However, it’s important to keep healthy by sticking to a routine. Yes, you can go out, try new foods, and have new experiences, but finding a healthy balanced lifestyle keeps you grounded and productive. After six weeks of studying, working, traveling, working on medical school applications, and making new memories, I have mixed emotions about leaving in the next few days. Happiness: for coming home to family and friends who have been keeping in touch, Sadness: for leaving behind a country that eventually accepted me, and Excitement: for everything that is to come during my senior year of college. Hasta luego Sevilla, te amo mucho

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How To Make The Most of Your Shadowing Experience In 6 Steps

Having the opportunity to shadow a doctor and other healthcare professionals is the best way of disovering what a career in medicine entails and whether it is the right fit for you. Medical school admissions boards favor applicants who have shadowed physicians, but it’s important to be able to talk about shadowing as something other than a fly on the wall experience. For six weeks I had the opportunity to shadow over thirty different medical professions and specialties for one hundred twenty hours at a private hospital in Sevilla. From my first whirlwind day in the operating theater seeing everything from plastic surgeries to C-sections, to my last day saying goodbye to the general physician I connected with the most, I am forever grateful for the time I spent learning at Hospital Infantil Luisa. Not everyone has a great shadowing experience however, because of ambiguity in the cultural code of what is acceptable to do and what is not. I have here a brief list of things to do to make the most of your shadowing experience based on what I’ve learned here in Spain. 

 1). Introduce yourself and smile

I know this may seem like common knowledge, but you would be surprised how many students I saw enter the physicians room without saying anything. Smiling and giving a short introduction is one of the easiest things you can do to start off on the right foot. It might be especially intimidating if the doctor you are shadowing does not speak English and you are forced to introduce yourself in Spanish to the best of your ability. Regardless, be fearless and make that introduction, I can assure you she/he will be impressed by stepping out of your cultural comfort zone. 

 2). Bring a small notebook and write things down

 While shadowing, you will see many different things- procedures, patients, meetings, diseases, etc. By the end of the internship it can feel overwhelming and things you’ve seen can begin to blur together. To make sure you remember all the important moments, jot them down in a little notebook that fit in your scrubs! Write down the names of the doctors shadowed, their specialty, any particular moment that was interesting, or anything new such as terms you were not familiar with. These small notes will become especially useful when preparing for your medical school interviews. 

3.) Ask Questions 

 I see that often times people are afraid to ask questions unless they are important or relevant in fear of what the doctor will think. You are here to learn and the doctor you are shadowing knows that. There are however appropriate times to ask, for example, it is not a good idea to ask a question while the doctor is in the middle of talking to a patient or coworker. Wait for an opportune time to ask, such as in between patients or during some down time. Some appropriate questions to ask would be about what you see during your time there, the hours your mentor typically works, challenges they have had in their field, and why did they choose their particular field. This type of honest information about the career you are planning on passionately pursing is something you should take advantage of. 

4.) Be Adaptable and Flexible 

You may go in one day expecting to shadow an emergency medicine physician but end up in neonatal intensive care unit for whatever reason (as this happened to me). If you look at every second you have while shadowing as a learning opportunity, you will have the chance to discover more about yourself and the aspects of the medical profession you may have never looked into before. Being adaptable and flexible is key to having an enjoyable experience because you never know what new door will open for you. 

 5.) Keep in Touch

Your mentors took time out of their day to see and teach you during their working hours, so it is important to keep in touch with those who have helped you out throughout your medical journey. Your experience does not just end on the last day of your internship- stay in touch with the hospital and program faculty. 

6.) Follow Through 

 Do not forget to mention your direct medical work experience in your personal essay and interview; it really will help you stand out. Medial college admissions panels will read hundreds of applications, and by giving details about your practical experience, what you saw that was different while aboard, and how you applied what you learned will set you apart. Be sure to highlight the good and bad moments, and follow through by using this experience to make you a better health professional candidate.

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Cross-Cultural Communication: Recognizing Your Own Culture and Learning From Others

I am a south Indian Keralite girl

born and raised in Houston, Texas,

but I do not easily define myself.

I am many things

I am an Indian

But I am not accepted as one because

I am an American , born and raised

But I am not an American according to their standards because

I have dark brown skin.

“You’re not American,

You don’t look like blondie blue eyes over there”

Fair and Lovely has always been a part of my skin care routine .

I am a coconut, an ABCD (American born confused Desi), not brown.

I am a lover of music from around the world but

I am ridiculed and judged for indulging myself into other cultures

Wannabe, weaboo, uncultured…

Not proud of my own race.

I am someone who appreciates

So what am I?

WHO am I.

I am multicultural

I am who I am and I am

Proud.

I was born and raised in Houston, TX, but my parents had their humble beginnings in Southern India. They moved to the Houston to provide my brother and I the best possible education and resources that were not available in India at the time. Through their sacrifices and strength, I was blessed with exposure to opportunities in the worlds largest medical center by pursuing volunteering opportunities, creating a community health organization, conducting Neuroscience research through Methodist and Baylor College of Medicine, providing clinical care to two-thousand patients on a medical service trip abroad, and studying abroad with Global Education in Sevilla, Spain which would allow me to learn Spanish and apply what I was taught in a one hundred twenty hour shadowing experience.

Studying abroad through Global Education and Career Development Abroad has truly given me the experience to find out more about myself, other cultures, and learn more about the similarities and differences. Overall, my experience has taught me that no matter where we are in the world, the person we become is a result of the books we read, the trips we’ve experienced, and the people we love. I saw this quote at a coffee shop called Caotica in Sevilla while I was catching up with a life friend I met on a weekend trip to Morocco.

Thanks to the guided weekend trip to Morocco on weekend (to read more about that click here), I met an amazing soul named Leyla who, upon meeting me, asked if I watched any Bollywood movies and started speaking to me in Hindi. I told her I do not speak Hindi very well, but that I love Bollywood movies and we bonded over the universal language of music and entertainment. I learned that not only was she was teaching French in Sevilla for a few months, but could speak seven languages with ease. At the coffee shop, we were talking to the kind barista, Josephine, who also spoke several languages.

Here, in this Coatica world, were three girls who spoke a total of seven languages between them, all communicating in Spanish. This moment was beautiful to me because I knew this was unique- I will always remember this as the time I spoke Spanish fluently, with ease, and with confidence.