by Daniella Zamora
The encounters I experienced during my shadowing in Italy have forever shaped my perspective on healthcare and life itself. I observed five different specialties: neurology and stroke unit, plastic surgery, OBGYN, gastroenterology, and emergency medicine. In total I shadowed for 80 hours that were divided between two hospitals in Bologna. I came into this program knowing I was going to learn many new things, but I can truly say that I have come out of the other side of this shadowing program not only knowing plenty more than I did before, but also an entirely different person. I was curious about other specialties coming into it, as I had only shadowed two before, and I immediately discovered a newfound interest in neurology after my time observing in the stroke unit. There were multiple cases that stuck with me and deeply impacted me and my perspective of the healthcare practice. They opened my eyes to the reality of being a healthcare provider and the challenges one may face when treating patients as well as the challenges patients face themselves when suffering from certain conditions. Observing the way healthcare providers and patients interacted in these hospitals helped broaden my perspective on how different cultures can be, both socially and professionally through the different etiquette and dialogue used. In retrospect, through this experience, I gained invaluable insights about the medical field, my love for medicine was solidified as a pre-med student, and my cultural understanding was deepened. It is because of this that this program and Bologna will forever hold a special place in my heart as being the city where I grew exponentially in both personally and professionally.
