Kategorie: ‘Medicine’
Great experience in Norway
- Medicine
- Norway, Trondheim
- Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet
- 02/2023 – 04/2023
Introduction: My Erasmus+ traineeship experience of two months at the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science at NTNU in Norway was a great experience, personally and professionally. This report aims to provide an overview of my journey, including the application process, accommodation, work environment, and the many activities that can be undertaken in Norway.
Application Process: I found a fascinating paper from the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science and decided to apply for an internship. First, I called the department to ask about the possibility of an internship. Second, I submitted my application via mail in November. In January, I received a response from the university indicating the need to complete an online application. The whole process was straightforward if you followed the university’s instructions.
Accommodation: Finding accommodation in Norway was relatively easy. Sit, the Studierendenwerk of the NTNU, offers housing to all students (also Erasmus+ Traineeship Students). The rent was affordable, approximately 450 euros, especially when compared to other expenses in the country. Sit provides a range of student housing facilities throughout the city. After being offered a room in Steinan, I asked for a room in Moholt as I had friends from Aachen living there. The staff at Sit is very friendly and changed my offer. In Moholt, there are two types of accommodations: flats for four people with a shared kitchen and bathroom, or “the towers,” where 15 individuals share a kitchen, each having their own bathroom. I recommend “the towers” as they are newly constructed and offer fully equipped kitchens.
Transportation: Trondheim’s bus system is well-planned and provides convenient transportation options throughout the city. The busses come all 10 minutes, later in the day all 20 min. But with 50 euros per month, it is also costly.
Work Environment: On my first day, I received my key card, office key, and an office equipped with a second screen and a work laptop. Although usually an office is shared among three people, the office was mainly only used by me. The work culture in Norwegian labs and the hospital generally is more casual than in Germany. The hierarchy is flatter. For example, everyone gathered for coffee in the morning and had lunch together. Lunch is already at 11:30. I recommend bringing your lunch. That’s also what most others do, as food is expensive. My supervisors ensured that I was trained in every method before I had to work independently. I experienced a high level of appreciation for my work. I was very flexible in planning my lab week, which was cool!
Leisure time: Norway offers a wide variety of (outdoor) activities. If you’re a skiing enthusiast, Trondheim’s cross-country loipes are a must-do, and if you prefer alpine skiing, Vassfjellet is a good destination, located just 30 minutes by car or 60 minutes by bus from Trondheim. Of course, hiking is another great option to enjoy the landscape. Additionally, the university offers mountain cabins for rent (NTNU I member: 4 euros per person per night/ non-member: 8 euros pp pn). Boomerang and BUA are two spots where you can rent outdoor/sports equipment (cross-country ski, snowshoes, sleeping bag, tents, …) for free. If you prefer indoor activities, Sit has several gyms all over the city. There you can train by yourself or book courses. A spot can always be booked 48 h in advance; therefore, you can try out different ones. Apart from the gyms, you can book cheap Squash courts and go bouldering.
Conclusion: I recommend an internship in the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science at the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The combination of friendly colleagues, a good work environment, and a wonderful country make it a great experience.
Internship in the Republic of Northmacedonia
- Practical Year in Medicine
- Republic of Northmacedonia, Skopje
- University Clinic for Dermatovenerology
- 01/2023 – 03/2023
My experiences:
Preparation: To organize this internship was fairly easy. The person responsible at the university is very responsive and very organized. Within two days, I had the acceptance from the department of dermatology. Once you are accepted, start preparing for the visa. It’s nearly impossible to reach the embassy in Berlin via phone and I recommend to prepare all documents and then go there directly. They will then tell you if something is missing. Just a hint here: The criminal record needs to have an apostille and you will need to translate all documents into Macedonian. If you translate it from English, you can reach out to official translators in Macedonia. They are very reliable and work quickly.
To bring: You should bring scrubs, a coat and a stethoscope, etc. As a nice gesture, do not forget to bring some souvenirs from your city.
Language: I was amazed by the advanced level of English the general population has. As they do not dub their movies, nearly everybody understands English and speaks it. However, I recommend making an effort to learn Macedonian. A great book to learn it is ‘Macedonian: A Course for Beginning and Intermediate Students’ by Christina E. Kramer and Liljana Mitkovska.
Health: While technically the European insurance card is valid, I recommend getting a private health insurance. Prices for consultancies are affordable and you will not wait longer than a few days to see a specialist. I went to the dentist here and I got an appointment within one day. The quality of care in the private sector is very good.
Safety: Macedonia and Skopje are very safe. Even when walking through the city at night alone, I never felt unsafe.
Money: In most places you can pay cash or by card. It’s good to always have some additional cash with you as some places – especially in the rural areas – do not accept card payment. If you have an apobank credit card, use the atms from Hallbank. They do not charge any fee.
Shopping: The cost of food in the supermarkets is comparable to Germany. However, going out to eat is considerably cheaper and activities such as going to the ballet/opera cost around 5€.
Transportation: Skopje has very cute double decker busses which are well connected. However, as I lived close to the hospital, I walked there. As the city center is quite small, most of the major sights and places are in walking distance. If you plan to travel within Macedonia, check out the bus companies at the bus station. At very reasonable prices you can go nearly everywhere. Biserprom is a bus company that offers weekend or single day travels. Check out their Facebook page. I went to Mavrovo (a great ski resort) and back for 5€.
Communication: As Northern Macedonia is not part of the EU-roaming packages, you will need to buy a separate SIM card. I recommend choosing A1, which has monthly packages for 300MKD (approx. 5€) 20GB. The internet connection with the mobile phone is super stable and coverage is great. Even when hiking, I never lost network.
Accommodation: To find a flat, have a look at AirBnB, Facebook (group: Skopje expats) and reklama5. In general, prices for a flat should be around 200-300€ – you can of course find cheaper rooms in the outskirts. I lived in Kisela Voda, which was a great and quiet neighbourhood.
Travel and arrival: There are numerous air- and buslines that go to Skopje. I travelled with bus (32h drive) for approximately 100€. While they do take breaks every 1-2hours, it is not the most comfortable way to travel. If you decide to go by plane, you can take a taxi or a bus which runs every 3-4h to the city.
Work routine: The mornings start with a short round of patient visits and then a morning meeting with all staff at 08:00. Afterwards, you continue to see the patients together with the specialists. On Wednesdays, all staff does a round together to see all patients. After the morning round, you can choose which specialist you want to join. Most doctors are happy to explain everything to you while they treat the patients, which is very helpful to understand the conditions of each patient.
Free time: Skopje is a great place to be in the nature and hike. In walking distance from Skopje center, there is Vodno mountain which offers a great view of the city. Near Skopje, there is the Matka canyon which features underwater caves whose depths haven’t yet been explored fully. The Vrelo cave is with its explored 240m already one of the deepest caves in Europe and the world. Another place worth an excursion is Ohrid, a beautiful city three hours south of Skopje. It is bordering the lake Ohrid, one of the oldest lakes in the world. In Ohrid, there were 365 churches/chapels – one for each day of the year. While not all still exist, there is a significant amount of them one can explore. If you are less into nature, have a look at the numerous great coffee bars Skopje offers. At nearly any time, you can see people chatting and drinking coffee there. The old bazar is also a must see.
Internship at Harvard Medical School
- Medical PhD
- USA, Boston
- Harvard Medical School
- 11/2022 – 11/2023
- Application/Finding an internship
Applying to Harvard Medical School seemed daunting at first. The reality was far more ordinary than expected. I sent an email including CV, letter of recommendation and lette
© Nikolai Ratajczak
r of motivation to the professor I wanted to work with in reply to an ad posted in the forum of my scholarship program. Within a week I had talked to two of the present lab members and the professor and was offered a position. This experience highly encouraged me to not be held back by the mystified prestige that has grown around some institutions. As my PI likes to say, in the end “we only cook with water”.
- Accomodation & Living expenses
Life in Boston and Cambridge is full of opportunities. Unfortunately living expenses and housing prices are extraordinarily high. Any room around $1000 a month will be considered cheap. In comparison to housing in Aachen this really requires a change of mind. Luckily, the college structure offers plenty of free food events to learn, participate and get some nice food. Other than that, food prices are two to three times as high as in Germany.
- Everyday life/the internship
I used to be in basic science in Aachen before coming here and was overwhelmed by the different workplace culture: I arrived just before the deadline for one of the conferences the lab attended this year and the work intensity, flow and energy reminded me rather of what I imagine a stock market to be like than what I associate with research. Overall, the team is very supportive and projects are being pushed in a demanding but productive way. Being here is definitely a great learning opportunity and can be a gateway to a career in clinical research. Other than that the city and colleges offer just about anything a student could ask for. I got into sailing and running and joined conferences every now and then.
- Free time/tips
© Nikolai Ratajczak
I really enjoyed my time with the cambridge running club and the community boating incorporation. Also the museums are a must see (MFA, Harvard Arts Museum, MIT Museum, …). Most of them offer free entry at some point or another. Moreover, I love to get out of the city every now and then. Going to New Hampshire, Maine, or Rhode Island for a weekend can offer nice hikes, the experience of a less “European” US and time to bond with new friends.
- Conclusion
I highly recommend anyone to come here. Working with my PI was a great experience.
My practical year in St. Johann in Tirol, Austria
- Medicine
- Austria, St. Johann in Tirol
- Bezirkskrankenhaus St. Johann in Tirol, department of “Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie”
- 11/2022 – 01/2023
© Angela Kurz
Preparation
I applied around ten months before the start of the Practical Year (called Praktisches Jahr (PJ) in Germany or Klinisch Praktisches Jahr (KPJ) in Austria). However, most places at the hospital “Bezirkskrankenhaus St. Johann in Tirol” are already taken one and a half to two years in advance, so it makes sense to call first and ask if there are still places available. The contact person is the “Sekretariat Ärztliche Direktion”, whose contact details can be found on the hospital’s website. They will also tell you which documents you need for the application. The hospital is a teaching hospital of the Universities of Innsbruck and Vienna. I would recommend contacting Ms. Lemos, the coordinator for study abroad of the medical faculty of the RWTH Aachen University, in time for necessary formalities.
Accommodation
There is a house right next to the hospital where students who are interns at the hospital can stay for free. Each student has their own room and bathroom. The kitchen is shared and is a great meeting place for communal meals and game nights. You also get free breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the hospital. However, the number of rooms is limited, so you should register for this in time. Since there wasn’t a room available at first, I lived in an apartment in the neighbouring town for the first two weeks. Then I was able to move into the student house for the remaining time. I would recommend checking regularly with the secretary’s office, as there are often vacancies in the house at short notice. I found support in finding a private apartment at the secretary of the hospital and the tourism association (Tourismusverband St. Johann in Tirol), each of which sent me a list of contact details of private landlords via e-mail.
Traineeship
On the first day of my internship, I had some organisational tasks to do: I reported to the secretary’s office, received work clothes, a staff ID card, and keys. Then I introduced myself to the surgical department. The working day began daily at 7.15 a.m. with the morning meeting. Afterwards, we medical students took some blood samples on the ward or assisted in the operating theatre. The rest of the time we accompanied the doctors in the surgical outpatient department. The day ended around 4 pm after the X-ray discussion and the ward rounds – on Fridays, usually a little earlier. As a medical student at the hospital in St. Johann, you do two night shifts a month, one during the week from 4 pm until the next morning and one on the weekend. The tasks include taking blood samples, setting up intravenous lines and assisting in the operating theatre if necessary or helping in the emergency room. I would recommend rotating also to orthopaedics/trauma surgery as part of the surgical tertial if possible.
© Angela Kurz
Free time
The region around St. Johann in Tirol is situated in the middle of the mountains and offers many great leisure opportunities. There are many ski resorts nearby, e.g. St. Johann itself, Kitzbühel, Saalbach/Hinterglemm or Ellmau/Scheffau. In some of them you even get a discount with your employee ID card! In other seasons, of course, there are also wonderful hikes to be done. The cities of Kitzbühel, Innsbruck and Salzburg are also not far away. In December, the Kitzbühel Christmas Market is definitely worth a visit!
Conclusion
I really enjoyed my time in St. Johann in Tirol and can recommend a PJ tertial in this great area. I made many new friends, and we made great memories together in the hospital and during our weekends in the mountains.
My practical year in France
- Staatsexamen, Medizin
- Rouen, France
- Hôpital Charles-Nicolle de Rouen
- May 2022 – September 2022
Preparation
The preparation began about a year before I started my Practical year (Praktisches Jahr- PJ). For the registration and application, I contacted Ms. Watteel directly, who is responsible for Erasmus stays at Université de Rouen Normandie. She was my contact person during the entire Erasmus stay and took care of all formal requirements and certificates in a timely manner.
Housing
Accommodation can be found at leboncoin.fr (something like Ebay in Germany) or Facebook. There is also the possibility to apply for student residences, but I did not do this. Furthermore, there are many real estate companies in Rouen that rent both furnished and unfurnished apartments. It should be noted that if the apartment is rented through a company, a fee of approximately one month’s rent must be paid. For students, the right side of the city is warmly recommended, because most of the activities and parties are on this side of the city. There are good bus connections to other parts of the city, but they are very limited at night. The university hospital is located almost in the city center and is easily accessible by public transportation.
Job and everyday life
© Lara Gubeljak
I completed a PJ tertial in the clinic for general surgery (chirurgie digestive). There I was in the OR every day and was allowed to assist most of the time, be it directly on the patient or administering the instruments. There were many opportunities for me to actively participate. I found it very good that I was allowed to sew up, that I could participate in organ donations, and that I was also able to perform some tasks beyond the student tasks. A normal day started at 7:30 a.m. and ended between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The visceral surgery team was very nice and had a lot of patience, especially when I occasionally didn’t understand things because of the language barrier. There were some doctors who also explained things in English, although this is not the rule in France.
For the internship, you get a reimbursement of about 250€ per month, but you must check with the HR department often and have a French bank account. All students who are currently doing their internship in a surgical department share the 24 hour duties among themselves. These services are additionally paid but are not obligatory for exchange students. During the night duty you have to do instrumentation and assist in the OR. You get your own room with your own DECT phone. If you are lucky and there are no emergencies, you may (and should!) sleep.
Leisure
© Lara Gubeljak
I was very fortunate to have a large circle of friends in Rouen, which made the stay overall very social and gave a different perspective to the busy PJ. It is very common to end the evening in a bar or café, although it must be said that due to the early working hours this was often not possible. Rouen is a student city and there is always something going on. In summer there are concerts every Thursday, there is the daily Cathederal de Lumiere, which was exciting every time again. It is a beautiful city from the Middle Ages, so there is a lot of history to see. The numerous museums are free until the age of 26. The surrounding cities like Paris, Le Havre, Étretat or Vernon are very worth seeing and easy to reach by train.
Conclusion
Rouen should and can definitely be recommended for tourism as well as for the PJ. I learned a lot there, was able to do a lot of practical work and strengthened many social skills in the professional setting. The beginning of the PJ was very exhausting, because a lot of things happened very quickly in the hospital and the medical terminology is clearly different, plus it contains many abbreviations. It was a great opportunity to deepen my French and to get an insight into general surgery. Four months were enough to settle in well and to get a little insight into the rest of Normandy.
A special experience in Cyprus
- Medicine
- Larnaca & Nicosia, Cyprus
- Hospital
- 02.03.-01.05.2022
Good food, friendly people, and lots of sun! That’s the best description I can give for this beautiful island! The people here are extremely friendly and helpful. It is easy to communicate since most of them can speak English which I think is really important for tourists and exchange students. The application for the internship can be made through the website of the University of Cyprus or via email and is a very simple procedure. Just be sure to check out the deadlines and be fast because there are only few places, and they are filled quickly!
Flight tickets can be expensive but there is a direct flight from Cologne to Paphos with good deals. If you book them in advance, you could be lucky! There is another airport in Larnaca where other airlines like Aegean, Eurowings, Lufthansa, Austrian airlines and many more operate. Generally, there are a lot of options especially if you do your research on time.
Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus and where the University and most of the students are. I would therefore recommend that you find a place to stay there. It is much cheaper if you have a roommate, otherwise rent is around 500 euro. Airbnb is also a good option if you are staying just for a couple of months. A telephone number is really easy to acquire. You just go to a nearby kiosk, buy a number and then top it up! One thing I hated about Cyprus is transportation. There are very few bus lines but at least they are on time. You can also get a taxi but that is of course more expensive. To be fair though, Cyprus is a small island, and all the important places are nearby, so you could always rent a bike or a scooter, which is also fun!
The University itself lacks a bit in organization but if you are motivated you will find your way and can learn a lot! It sometimes takes a while for the staff responsible for Erasmus students to answer to your emails but do not hesitate to call them; they are very friendly and helpful. Additionally, a mentor will be assigned to you, with whom you can set goals and discuss your progress. The students are also friendly and helpful if you have any trouble with classes or administrative work.
In Germany the last year of medicine is a practical year, in which you can visit various subjects and hospitals to gain more practical experience. It is divided into three parts of four months. Therefore I chose to do the first half of the second part in Cyprus, during spring time when the weather is just perfect- not too cold, not too hot. My day usually started around 8:00 in the morning. We visited the patients and reported their progress back to the attendings. During the day I was free to decide, whether I wanted to stay in the ward or go to the policlinic. The doctors were all extremely nice and ready to answer all my questions. The working environment was very friendly and calm. Mondays through Wednesdays we had lessons with a doctor, which was good revision for me. Around 13:00 I was relieved of my duties, so I had the rest of the day off for fun activities!
Cyprus as you know has great weather so you can undertake lots of activities outdoors, like football, skateboarding, watersports, swimming, hiking, minigolf etc. There are lots of parks for picnics or an afternoon walk with some friends. And for those who prefer staying inside the island will not disappoint you!
As I’ve mentioned before the food is amazing! You will find all sorts of cuisines around the island! You can enjoy the best brunch at “Edem’s Yard”, the most delicious pasta at “Rokoko”, the juiciest burgers at “San Pedro”, great sushi at “Umami Restaurant” and the best traditional meze at “Tamblios Tavern”! On top of that, the nightlife will not disappoint you! Mackenzy Beach is a street full of bars by the beach. They organize lots of different events where you can dance to great music and enjoy all kinds of cocktails throughout the year, not just during the summer months! Mackenzy Beach is in Larnaca, which is only 30 minutes away form Nicosia. There is also the famous Ayia Napa with all the clubs and the wild nightlife for all those who enjoy bar crawling and different types of music.
All in all, it was truly an amazing experience! Not only did I make friends, I also learned to appreciate the country more. I would choose Cyprus again at any time and recommend it. The memories I have made along with the knowledge I have gained were totally worth it! If you ever have the chance to complete a semester abroad, you should definitely take it!
My internship in the hospital Bolzano, Italy
- Medicine, Diploma
- Bolzano, Italy
- Hospital Bozen
- 15.11.2021 – 06.03.2022
In Germany the last year of medicine is a practical year, in which you can visit various subjects and hospitals to gain more practical experience. It is divided into three times four months stays each. For my first two month of this practical year, I chose the hospital Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy. Since I knew this region already from previous holidays, I thought it would be a nice change after the big exam I had in October.
Application
The application process was very easy via email. You can find all information’s you need on the website of the hospital of Bolzano. Just keep in mind to do it one year ahead of the beginning of the internship. For all other organisational matters (contracts, insurance, etc) a staff member, responsible for us students, helped us continuously. She also supported us regarding application and apartment- hunting.
Apartment
Finding a flat was much more difficult than applying for the internship, as the housing market in Bolzano is very scarce and overpriced. Nevertheless, many students live here, and a solution can always be found. I can recommend to look in:
- Facebook groups ( Bolzano Unibacheca Universitari Affitti / Affitto Camera or Immobilienbörse Bozen Umgebung – Wohnungen PRIVAT (ver)mieten & (ver)kaufen)
- or the site: wg-gesucht.de
- and also on the university site: http://accommodationunibz.blogspot.com/.
I found a nice room in the city center in a shared flat with 5 people, which was really nice to connect immediately. Look for a room next to the city centre, since the outside areas are not that nice in general.
Transport
Bolzano is not very big, so you can easily explore the city by walking. However, the hospital was located a little outside town, so I decided to get a second hand bike. Bolzano is a very bike-friendly city. Dedicated bike lanes make it very pleasant to ride and you feel very safe. Some friends of mine preferred to go by bus and bought a Südtirol-Abo Plus card for 150 Euros, which you can also use as train ticket to Trient or cable cars of the mountains. To discover the surroundings of the city, a car is already an advantage, as you are usually much faster than by bus and can thus get to all the places. When we went skiing, we car-pooled and could go straight to the slopes with our skis in the car. It’s simply easier to move around with a car here. Unfortunately, Bolzano has no car sharing, but a bike sharing in the summer months.
Traineeship
My traineeship began in the middle of November 2021. In the Hospital we usually started at 7.30am with the morning reunion. We discussed the patients and the program for the day. After that we all went to have a coffee break together :D. During the day I was free to decide, whether I wanted to go into the surgery room or in the policlinic. The doctors were all extremely nice and polite. The working environment was very friendly and calm. We should at least stay for 6 hours to also get a free lunch, but it was also no problem if you had to leave earlier or could not come at a certain day. Lunch was rich of different options and there were always three courses—yuuummmy! After a while I definitely felt included in the team and could also relieve the doctors of work. It’s definetly an advantage to speak Italian as well as German. In South Tyrol they speak both German and Italian, but Bolzano is a little more Italian, therefore the working language in the hospital is also predominantly Italian. In the outlying areas of Bolzano people prefer to speak German. Most people however are bilingual, so you can easily get around.
Free time
© Chiara Löffler
After work there are a lot of options to spend your free time. The region here is very nice for outdoor activities. The mountains (Dolomites) are incredibly beautiful and in summer you can go hiking, climbing, biking etc and in winter it’s perfect for skiing or Snow hiking.
Since I was there in winter, I mostly went skiing. Obereggen, Seiser Almand Carezza are skiing areas that are approximately half an hour by car away from the city and have very nice slopes. You can also rent a sledge or just go hiking in the snow. You get a reduction on the skipass if you show your clinic employee card.
In March it got warmer and we were able to do some via ferrata and hikes in the surroundings (Eppan, Ritten, Jenesien). On the weekends we also did some city trips to Bologna, Venice, Milan, Verona and Lage Garda, which are all less than 2 hours by car. So, it is perfect to explore the North of Italy.
If you like to stay in town, you can drink coffee or have an Aperitivo (Aperol usually 3,5€) with friends. Expenses are quite cheap for drinking or eating and food here is really good. The weather is also amazing. Here some of my favourite food and drink stops: Bar Osteriada Picchio (book in advance), Al cantuccio (nice pizza), il Corso (nice pizza), Nussbaumer (perfect with parents), Exil Lounge (coffee place). Also I can recommend going to the cinema Film Club Bolzano, they often play movies in original language and the theatre Carambolage, who does most of their performances in German.
© Chiara Löffler