Submitted by Ella Swope on the 2024 Winter HLTH program in Rome, Italy…
This week I arrived in Rome, Italy!! I am so excited for the journey that I am about to embark on, all the people I am going to meet, all the memories I am going to make, and all the things I am going to learn! In 2022 I visited Rome for about 2 days so although I would not say I am a local, I am familiar with the city and its culture. The rich history behind every building and landmark, the vastness and diversity of each and every little town, the expressiveness of the people and the way they show their love, and well, of course, the emphasis on pizza, pasta, and all things carbo-load goodness.
I flew into Rome a few days before my program started and used this time to walk around, get used to my surroundings, and adjust to the time difference (which was much harder than I expected). I got to see all the major monuments and indulge in some delicious food! Since being in Rome for a little over a week now, I am so glad to be able to call this place home for this winter break. I have made some great friends who I have planned a trip to Florence this weekend. I have seen a lot at the hospital I am shadowing at too, I will be sure to update the blog next week all about that! For now, ciao!
Our second week in Rome!! This week we really got into the swing of things with balancing our time spent in the hospital shadowing and out in the city exploring. These past two weeks I have got to see some incredible things including brain surgery, the Vatican, and Florence. It has been a jam packed last few days, especially but I love each and every moment of this trip. I am so excited to see what next week has in store!
The first week of shadowing I spent in the Neurosurgery department, which was absolutely amazing. The doctor I shadowed was so knowledgeable and extremely helpful when answering all my questions. He even let us in the OR to watch one of his brain surgeries! It was a once in a lifetime experience, to say the least. Week #2 was a little more tame in the plastic surgery department. I saw tons of biopsy and small medical procedures that were very interesting. Next week I get to head into the Oncology department to work with even more fantastic doctors and surgeons!
Like I said, we decided to take a weekend trip to Florence and it was amazing. It was very windy the first day but the second was absolutely gorgeous. We got to walk around to see the duomo, the Ponte Vecchio and a bunch of cool side streets and shops. Of course we had some delicious pizza and pasta, it wouldn’t be Italy without it! It was the perfect getaway from the tiring, yet rewarding hospital! (Submitted on January 27, 2024)