University of Crete Internal Medicine Global Health Rotation

 I have been interacting with the Greek medical students more and learning about how medical training works here. In the US you have 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of medical school, then 3-7 years of residency depending on what specialty you match into. Then there is the option of fellowship afterwards. In Greece, you begin with 6 years of medical school. The first 2 years are your didactic years, then you spend 4 years in a clinical setting. A new law was recently passed to where all of the residencies are now at least 5 years long. So the pathway actually ends up being the same with the shortest amount of time for both equalling 11 years.  One thing that shocked me is how they do residency. It is literally just a list that you put your name on and then you have to wait. One student said that it is normal to wait over 10 years after you graduate for a spot to open in the specialty you want. There is no exam, grades, or qualifications that you can achieve to change where you a...

 I made it to Crete and started my rotation! I'm in internal medicine for the 1st two weeks. It is always nerve-wracking to start at a new hospital for a rotation, but it is such a different level of uncertainty when the hospital is in a new country and you are not fluent in the language. Navigating around the hospital is going to take some getting used to, but all of the residents and other medical students I have worked with so far have been very accommodating and helpful. I am paired up with a senior resident and will spend my time learning from her. My goals for this rotation are to learn about the Greek healthcare system and how their medical training works, increase my knowledge in internal medicine and heme/onc, develop greater cultural awareness, and put myself out of my comfort zone. So far, I have already gone out of my comfort zone, and while in the moment I feel antsy, I know that when I reflect back on this time I will be very grateful for the opportunities.

I am getting ready to head to Crete and I am so excited! I actually studied abroad outside of Athens during undergrad, so it will be a great experience to head back to Greece as a medical student. I will be in the internal medicine and heme/onc departments (two weeks each) at the University of Crete Hospital. I am interested to see how their medical system differs from ours in terms of medicines, treatment plans, patient interactions, and system barriers. I feel like we often have a romanticized view of the Mediterranean countries in terms of their health, but Greece still has healthcare issues, just like the rest of the world. I think learning from my preceptors, fellow students, and patients will be an incredibly valuable experience where I will be able to take what I've seen into my future practice.