Submitted by Ashley Grinnell on the 2019 winter session program in Athens, Greece sponsored by the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences…
My first week in Athens, Greece has been amazing, exciting, confusing, exhausting, and beautiful all at the same time. When landing at the airport in Athens last Friday, I was terribly nervous. Already, everything was written in Greek and I heard nobody around me speaking in English. I had trouble finding my way around, but eventually, I found my site coordinators from Atlantis and they couldn’t have been more welcoming. Eventually, I met my roommates and the others on the program and we instantly bonded. Upon arriving at our apartment, I was in awe: it’s so beautiful and home-like. I and my apartment-mates really bond and we always do stuff together! I was very tired so I slept and lightly explored the city that weekend, which, by the way, is beautiful and I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else.
Monday came and it was my first day shadowing at Attikon General Hospital. I was apprehensive and felt a little out of place not knowing how to speak Greek, but the doctors turned out to speak English well and are very friendly. I saw my first surgery! Instead of feeling queasy or about to faint, I was excited and took a lot of notes and really came to the realization that I’m meant to be a surgeon. As the week progressed, I learned doctors’ names, I learned a lot about what surgeries they perform, and I discovered my way around the hospital. Outside of the hospital, I’m never bored here. We have group dinners, excursions (I’ve already seen the Acropolis and Delphi), and I and other people on the program go out to amazing places for dinner or coffee. I’m excited for this upcoming week!
