Submitted by Hayeon Park on the 2020 winter session program in Portugal sponsored by the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences…
My first week in Portugal has been amazing to say the least. Atlantis, the program that I’m studying abroad through, has granted me the opportunity to experience healthcare in a completely different light.
Having multiple shadowing experiences in the United States ranging from physical therapy, dentistry, to emergency care, I believed I had a thorough understanding of what the healthcare field entailed. But I experienced something here in Portugal that I’ve never seen in the United States: kinsman-ship. I know that all healthcare providers care about their patients, but I’ve never felt something quite like this.
I was placed in the gastroenterology unit at the hospital. After seeing colonoscopy after colonoscopy, I felt as if I’d seen too much. Then a young woman came in to have this procedure done, and I knew something was different. Although it was a relatively straightforward procedure and had been performed multiple times prior, the doctors looked stressed. I learned that the woman had come to the hospital alone, which is not allowed for patients receiving sedation. I asked if the doctor could reschedule the procedure, but he explained that it would be futile since she had no family or friends to attend her. The team decided to proceed without any medication. After a few minutes into the procedure, it was evident that the woman needed the medicine as she was in tremendous pain. With no hesitation, one of the doctors from a neighboring town offered to drive her home so she would be able to receive the sedation she needed. After the procedure was completed, I told the doctor that was a very kind gesture. He replied nonchalantly, “She’s one of our own, we have to take care of our own.”
From these doctors to strangers on the street, the people of Portugal have been truly wonderful. Every interaction from a simple hello to a rambled cry for directions has been met with the same kind-hearted and willing spirit. I’m not sure what’s in their water, but I hope I can bring some home with me to the United States.