An Eye-opening Internship Experience

Experience on site during consult:

The CIEE Alicante, Spain program connected me with Vissum, a renown ophthalmology private hospital. Throughout the course of the internship, I rotate with doctors from different specialties in ophthalmology that range from the cornea to the retina. On consult days I wear a white lab coat. When I am with the doctor in consult, the doctor reads the patient’s history and explains the motive why the patient is in consult. Depending on why the patient is in consult, the doctor will let me use the slit lamp microscope to view the patient’s eyes. Being in consult with the doctors provides an opportunity for me to interact with the patients in Spanish.

Experience on site during surgery:

Before arriving in Spain I did not have surgery experience. On surgery days I have to suit up in surgical gear just like the doctors do in Grey’s Anatomy. I have seen the process of how the patient is prepared for surgery from attachment of the monitor to the administration of the anesthesia. I have witnessed surgeries ranging from refractive surgeries to cataract surgeries. I have watched doctors act fast when complications arise during surgery. The doctors never rush through any surgery, they give each patient their time and dedication to obtain the best results. The doctors never work alone, there is always a team of three in the operating room who maintain good communication to have the surgery run smoothly. Being in surgery I was able to learn about the different roles other occupations have during surgery.

Overall experience:

This internship provided me with the opportunity to interact with doctors and patients from around the world. I have expanded my medical terminology in Spanish and know more about ophthalmology than I did before starting the internship. Through this internship, I was able to further expand my network. I am grateful to have this internship opportunity because the doctors have welcomed me in as part of the Vissum family.