I studied abroad with Barcelona SAE in the Spring of 2025; I took three classes and did an internship for three additional credits. I enjoyed my classes, but I LOVED my internship. I am interested in going into veterinary medicine and the Barcelona SAE team did an amazing job of finding me a perfect placement at a vet clinic.
I worked closely with the head doctor of the clinic and several other interning students. There were three students from Spain and three students from Greece that I became close with. The students from Greece were newly graduated veterinarians that had more textbook knowledge than me, but I had more hands-on experience due to having worked in a vet clinic for four years prior. The doctor would make some small things like a competition to challenge us and whoever got his question correct would get to give injections or assist in X-rays.
My internship wasn't always sunshine and rainbows. Some of my most challenging moments happened there, but overcoming these challenges also made them some of my most rewarding experiences. Here is a story about one of my most stressful weeks at my internship and how I managed the language barrier and rose to the occasion.
When I arrived in Spain, I had very little Spanish. While I knew I would manage, I still wanted to learn the language to better understand my supervisor and coworkers at the vet clinic. I had been observing surgeries for a while and eventually I was told that I would be the next surgical technician, handing the instruments to the doctor. I knew many of the instruments, but not all of them, and I also struggled understanding the Spanish pronunciation. On top of that, I had never scrubbed in on a surgery before, and I was scared I was going to break the sterile field before even getting to the table.
Over the next week I spent time learning instruments commonly used in general surgery, practicing their Spanish names, and asking my coworkers for help with the ones I struggled with. The night before the surgery I watched videos to learn how to properly put on sterile gear and surgeries being done in Spanish. Despite my nerves, I managed to get my gloves and gown on properly and organize the instruments. The surgery was fairly simple, and I was able to anticipate what the doctor would need and I understood his instructions throughout the procedure. I amazed all of us involved in the surgery by knowing all of the instruments needed. The only part I struggled with was preparing the suture, but the doctor was understanding. When the surgery was almost complete, the doctor took a photo so that I could show my parents because he was proud of me and he knew that they would be too. The challenge leading up to that picture was immense, but the effort I put in made it one of the most rewarding experiences of my internship.
