Occasionally AMO has students who enjoy rotations so much, they take two! Crissia, a fourth-year medical student from Brazil, was one of these individuals. Crissia completed two rotations in sunny California and found a new specialty to pursue.

Reporting for Surgery

Even before I was a medical student I wanted to rotate at a hospital in the U.S. I always wanted to see how different practicing medicine in Brazil was from the U.S. When I learned about AMOpportunities, I knew I just had to complete one of their rotations. The process of choosing which one to go to was hard. There were so many options! I went “bold” and chose a surgical rotation in L.A. and was planning to complete a second one elsewhere. The AMO team was amazing in helping me to select a second rotation! I picked a San Diego neurology rotation and I could not have chosen better. I learned more than I could expect, and the doctors and their team could not have been more professional, kind, and patient. They were so willing to teach, it was fantastic!

In LA, I got to attend many different surgeries (video laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery, removal of breast tumor surgery, thyroid surgery, colorectal cancer removal, etc.). I had a great and vast clinical experience at the office seeing the patients. In San Diego, I saw back-to-brain surgeries and learned a lot about the clinical manifestations of diseases that affect the spinal cord. I was so enchanted by the whole experience that I left the USA thinking about going on to become a surgeon (which, before the rotations, I had never considered).

If you’re thinking about doing a rotation in the U.S., be it just for the purpose of the experience or for practicing for the USMLE, you cannot go wrong with AMO! They helped me throughout the process, providing information before applying to the rotations, helping to select the rotations, and during the enrollment process. I always felt safe and confident with them. This experience has made a big impact in my professional and personal life, allowing me to consider different options I have when it comes to selecting a specialty to pursue! I can only thank the whole AMO team and the doctors and their staff for this life-changing experience! 

 

Does Crissia’s story interest you? You could have a U.S. clinical experience just like her! Head to our website to see our rotations and apply!