Les Blouses à Blanches et Les Coups de Soliel

Hey family and friends. I'm just checking in since I've been off the Internet for the last couple of days. I hope you are all doing well as I continue to think of you, and the warm feeling of returning home more and more every day. I cannot believe that another week has come and gone during my time in France. I don't even know where to begin in order to start filling you in so that you may be able to even have a glimpse of all the wonderful things that are happening during my time here in Nice.

I finished my internship in urgent medicine last Friday. Of course, it's only proper in the French culture to throw a party to celebrate, so I made sure to bring in some strawberry and lemon meringue tarts to celebrate. They were délicieux! Even though it went by so quickly, I know that I made some friendships that will last for a lifetime. I haven't yet been able to perform any major tasks in terms of patient care; my day-to-day routine consists mostly of observing the doctor and intern's interaction with the patient and trying to absorb as much information as possible. I've been keeping a journal log (in French of course) that helps document all the things that I witness and pose questions that I might have. I know that for my course, Santé Publique, I will need to present a case study on a patient or a disease that I have followed during my internship. At this point, I am strongly considering presenting bi-polar disorder, as l'Hôpital St. Roch receives many interesting psychiatric cases. I am beginning a new internship tomorrow morning called la Médicine d'Accueil. I will be shadowing a different physician, Pr. Levraut, and a new group of students. My hope is that from working in a different specialty will help give me a better appreciation and more holistic sense of the French medical system.

The urgent medicine medical team of Hôpital St. Roch

Of course, besides swing dancing in the park and practicing a duet in preparation for a talent show at the end of the term, there's been plenty of things to do in this beautiful little place that someone so conveniently named Nice. I had a full conversation with an older gentleman the other day on the way home after classes. Even though it might seem like a minor thing, I definitely count it as a major win, because it proves that I am indeed making progress in my comprehension of the French language and culture. We visited an art museum on Wednesday afternoon after class that featured that art of Henri Matisse. Even though I knew very little of him before the program, I found his art to be quite interesting and vivid. I'd love to include a couple photos or two of the paintings that we got to see, but unfortunately the museum prohibited us from taking pictures. I guess the spray-paint painting that I bought from a street artist for 20 euros will have to do.

We also had a small celebration at the Faculty of Medicine at l'Hôpital Pasteur in recognition of several French medical students that returned from practicing medicine abroad for a two-month period. Some of the places they traveled included Boston, Massachusetts, Hanoï Vietnam, and Burkina Faso. It was really good to hear from other students that had practiced medicine abroad and had had a really good experience. In a way, it certainly reinforced the reason why I am here in France, studying abroad and learning the ins and outs of a completely different system of medicine, while still having one common goal in mind-caring for the patient.

 

Finally, one brief thing to add. My social life here is anything except dull, like the slow rolling tops of the mountains just to the north of me. The other twenty-five students in this program are all absolute gems, and I am confident that when I return home to the States, even though my luggage will weigh relatively the same as when I left, I will be coming home with so much more. I know that some of these people will certainly be lifelong friend. I can potentially see many trips in the future to St. Louis MO, or New Haven CT just to name a few. The majority of us got together to celebrate our friend Katie's twenty-second birthday last Friday evening. We went to a very fancy Italian restaurant right on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The cost of the food was nearly ridiculous, but I suppose that in many cases, you certainly pay for the view. I wasn't too hungry after eating a large buffet at the Faculty of Medicine, but I certainly didn't hesitate to order a bottle of rosé, costing me 16 euros. Oh well, I guess you've got to jump at the opportunities when they're given to you.

The gang at Di Piu Italian restaurant in celebration of our friend's birthday