My Erasmus experience,
All began at the beginning of October; emotions were running high! I was both excited and apprehensive about what the next few months would bring. Padova is a historical university that is 800 years old so of course I was happy to get a feel for what student life would be like.
Upon arrival I took a couple days to settle into my accommodation, I chose to live with 2 Italians who were not Erasmus, which was very useful in order to improve my Italian language skills. The first week consisted of finding my way around the huge hospital campus in order to arrive to lessons during the day and discovering the various festivals, parties and events around the city that ESN had organized for us during the night.
Of course, going to a new country, new university with a whole new system can be daunting however nothing good comes easy. The lessons were in Italian and the timetables and daily schedules were different compared to my home university, but the Erasmus coordinators and tutors were very helpful every step of the way with prompt replies and appointments whenever requested. Then came the clinical practice, I had the privilege of attending Plastic, Endocrine and General Surgery departments all of which were very satisfying. The hospital staff were all very kind and understanding of the fact I was an international student there to gain some experience.
All in all, Erasmus is a chapter I consider every student should have in their life and is very useful in our development as young professionals. The impact my Erasmus experience has had on me is positive from every point of view, I think it is essential to have a well-rounded experience from multiple education systems to be prepared for the world of work. Most of us are students once during our lifetime and whilst we’re young it would be a shame to pass up on such opportunities. Fun is a big part of the Erasmus experience however it is important to stay on course and not lose vision of what we are there to achieve, especially as medical students, there’s no plain sailing anywhere you go, however it does teach you to have the right balance once requires in life.
Who would I recommend Erasmus to? I would recommend Erasmus to brave and ambitious students on one hand but also those who have something to prove to themselves and want to overcome fears. I’ll never forget this experience! THANK YOU, ERASMUS+!