Traveling to a new country for any reason brings a lot of reasons to be nervous. Traveling to work and learn in your second language adds to that pressure.
Such was the case for our December photo/blog winner, Camila, as she prepared for her AMO clinical rotation. Read her story below for how AMO’s team of Advisors and Coaches helped her navigate her nerves and the world-expanding experience she had in her Neurology rotation in Boca Raton, Florida.
A Whole New World
Being a medical student is like falling in love with a new world you don’t know. You might see or hear many things about medicine, but only by walking down that road is when you realize that this career is more than a profession: it is a lifestyle. But also, being a foreign medical student represents a whole new world of opportunities, knowledge, and innovation as you get to practice what you have learned over the years with different patients, alongside diverse teachers, and speaking the universal language of medicine.
I’m never going to forget what I felt when I got to the clinic for the first time. Excellent healthcare professionals were waiting for me. From the beginning, everyone was willing to teach me and help me with my academic growth.
When I got selected for a clinical experience in the U.S. with AMO Opportunities, I was both excited and frightened. On the one hand, I got this amazing chance to work in the field I love the most for a whole month, but on the other hand, I was going to prove myself and all that I have learned in a different language, in a new country, and a different culture.
Truly, I can not thank enough all of the people that helped me get here. My advisors were always looking forward to answering my questions and taking care of my parents’ concerns. And the support team at AMO opportunities helped me with all the documentation I needed to travel safely.
But overall, AMO helped me to get in contact with amazing doctors, who now I admired immensely. I’m writing this on my last day, feeling both amazed and a little sad. I’ve learned so much, I’ve been in touch with patients, I’ve learned more about the U.S. medical system, I feel more confident about my English, and I strongly believe that I’ve lived a remarkable experience that is going to help me to become a better student and a better doctor. Thank you immensely.
Learn more about Camila’s program, or find a program just for you at app.amopportunities.org/search
