Study Abroad
A Home Away from Home
Leaving behind all that you have ever known in search of new experiences and opportunities is daunting, but when you take that step, you will be thankful you did. I decided to reconnect with my family's roots and study abroad in Sorrento, Italy at Sant'Anna Institute. Since my arrival, I have had my eyes opened to the many cultural differences that have made this city like a second home to me.
Interning Abroad
My International Internship
My primary draw to Sorrento, and Sant'Anna specifically, was the internship opportunities, and they have not disappointed. I have been interning at Vet Hospital Sorrento since August of 2019, and the skills I have obtained and the knowledge I've gained are invaluable.
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Two train stops down and a short walk up the hill brings me to the vet hospital where I have spent the last four months interning. I've had the privilege of working with four very talented veterinarians during my time here who have taught me so much.
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A Brief Introduction:
Augusto: The senior doctor when he was there, but he spent most of his time at another office depending on where he was needed more. He encouraged me the most to start learning the Italian language, and, eventually, when I began to, he told the first Italian joke I ever understood!
Salvatore: A skilled doctor and the one in the hospital to make everyone laugh. He has definitely made the days that were hard there to feel brighter. When the results of a surgery were not always ideal, he would be the first one seeing to the team and uplifting them.
Danielle: A very skilled anesthesiologist and doctor. He has been an unparalleled resource for me as I could not initially communicate with the rest of the team. He has been very encouraging to me during this time and has helped to give me the confidence to improve my language skills.
Filomena: The head of the hospital and one of the best surgeons I have ever had the privilege of watching work. She is the only woman at this hospital, but she still dominates it with her skill in surgery and compassion with the animals. We struggled to communicate initially, but she has truly been an inspiration, and I look forward to my next four months of working with her.
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I went into this experience with very little prior experience in a professional veterinary setting, but, with the guidance of these four talented veterinarians, I feel confident walking into the hospital every day. Since I don't yet have a degree in Veterinary Medicine, one would expect my duties to be limited to cleaning up around the office, but I have been pleasantly surprised at all the things they have taught me so far.
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Already I've learned:
The proper way to keep an area and the items within sterilized
How to take blood samples
How to properly prep animals and myself for surgery
How to safely administer medicine intravenously and topically
How to properly insert tracheal tubes for both dogs and cats
How to properly place an intravenous catheter
How to assist in surgery and the proper form for assisted CPR
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In addition to these fantastic experiences, I also had the privilege of completing some of my own projects!
Project #1: Facilitated a foster program for a disabled animal while also benefitting the students of my school with the emotional support of the animal during the week of midterms.
Project #2: Organized and executed an event to raise awareness about the importance of a nutritious diet for your pets. Healthy alternatives for dog treats were made through the group effort of the students for the dogs of the volunteers. The excess was donated to the vet hospital.
Project #3: Facilitated and assisted with the transport and subsequent adoption of animals in need.
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Looking Back
As I look back at these past four busy months, I am overwhelmed with the feelings of the positives that I have encountered. It hasn't been a completely smooth ride, though, but I feel that the bumps along the way have made the successes sweeter.
In the beginning, I really struggled with the language barrier and being able to understand the simple tasks that they wanted for me to do. I had been studying the language before my arrival, but I was still barely grasping the basics. It was frustrating for me and for them as well, I'm sure, but throughout the semester, my understanding of the language and their intensions has increased exponentially which I feel has allowed me to more of an asset than a hindrance to them.
Being a perfectionist is something that I had to give up during my time here, not being able to do everything that they could was something that I was insecure about initially, but as I've learned more and more during my time here I feel like it has actually helped me to grow. On days that they weren't as busy, even the vets would be pouring over their books, trying to learn something new to prepare them for the future. I remember one day when I was talking with one of the vets, and he said to me, "The learning never stops. You'll never know everything, so you have to keep reading." This really stuck with me. This was a mentality that I had had for a long time and somehow lost. I'm thankful that this experience has helped to renew my desire to learn every day and to be willing to make mistakes to do so.
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This internship has taught me so much and helped me to develop my skills beyond what I could have hoped. Not only has it allowed me to develop my professional skills, but it has also helped me to open myself up in so many other ways.
Skills Gained
Professional
I began my internship with very little knowledge or experience in the veterinary world. From this experience, I have gained the ability to problem-solve more efficiently and independently, to deal with difficult and stressful situations in a fast-paced environment, and to perform the duties that a job in the industry of veterinary medicine demands. Not only did I develop these, but I also was taught about certain procedures and the proper way to do them. While I won't be performing surgery on my own for a few years, I was able to assist them during surgery, learn how to administers medicines and IVs, and many techniques on how to best care for animals in this clinical kind of environment.
Cross-cultural
The work environment in Italy has many differences from those in America. The dynamic surprised me on my first day, even without knowing the four vets, whom I would eventually come to respect and appreciate immensely, they treated me as an equal and as part of the team. This attitude has really helped me open up and to be more adaptable and to operate more efficiently in a balanced group setting. With five of us in the office on any given day, the differences between all of us were what helped everything to run smoothly and enjoyably. Even with primarily non-verbal communications, you can still develop friendships and working together efficiently when you work at it.
Personal
Personally, I have never struggled in being task or goal-oriented and have always had a good sense of self-reliance to get the things done that I needed to. I think this internship has helped me to see and appreciate the opposite side of that structure, that it is good to be able to rely on other people and to work with them as a team. This internship has also given me a better sense of confidence in my ability to learn and execute new concepts or tasks when my assistance is needed.
Language
When I first arrived in Italy, I had little prior knowledge of the language. It was a struggle for me to be thrust into an environment with a language I was unfamiliar with, but, with the encouragement of my teachers and supervisors, I began to learn and understand it. Now I feel comfortable attempting to speak Italian and can take my mistakes with a grain of salt.