{"id":6733,"date":"2018-06-07T14:47:16","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T14:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alliance4universities.eu\/?page_id=6733"},"modified":"2018-06-14T11:02:53","modified_gmt":"2018-06-14T11:02:53","slug":"megan-swemmers-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/alliance4universities.eu\/en\/megan-swemmers-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Megan Swemmer’s story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Megan Swemmer, <\/strong>a Bachelor student in Veterinary Sciences, from University of Pretoria in South Africa, spent 3 months at Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, completing her practical training at the University\u2019s Veterinary Hospital. This is what she had to say:<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a student completing a rotation working visit in the UAB Veterinary Clinic, I feel that I was exposed to elements of the each respective department that I have been taught about in class during my theory lectures in South Africa. I was also able to see what will be expected of me as a working veterinarian in these fields once I have graduated. Therefore I believe that my knowledge was exercised and increased during my visits<\/strong>.<\/em> With regards to my competency, I was not given many opportunities to gain practical experience during my rotations through the hospital. Therefore I \u200bwould conclude that my visit has allowed me to gain knowledge through observation, but minimal improvement in competency.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Megan adds: \u201c<\/em>In South Africa we are given a general rotation in Small Animal Internal Medicine without a specific focus on one field or discipline, therefore I greatly enjoyed the opportunity in the UAB Veterinary Clinic to focus on each area of small animal medicine individually. For example, in South Africa, we would see an animal for a consultation without classifying the \u201creason for visit\u201d beforehand, therefore it is possible to not see many case examples of each specialist field throughout your rotation. I believe the main contributor to my learning was the opportunity to spend time with a specialist that focuses specifically on one area of veterinary medicine. This allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of each specialization and see more cases related to each rotation, as well as to learn from veterinarians that are very experienced in their field.<\/strong>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Talking about unexpected moments, Megan said: \u201c<\/em>I was surprised by the level of familiarity between lecturers and students. In South Africa, we have a more formal hierarchy between doctors and students. At UAB I was so surprised to hear the students refer to the doctors and lecturers by their first name and communicate with them as if talking to a friend.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In summary, \u201cThe world is smaller than you think. We, as global citizens, are all connected even though miles and seas may separate us. We all share the same day-to-day challenges and concerns. <\/em><\/strong>I would definitely recommend a mobility to everyone. The amount of growth I experience in every aspect of my life was simply unimaginable.<\/em><\/strong> Being taken out of your comfort zone and placed in a new university, a new town and anew country is a catalyst to self, academic and social development. My life has been greatly enriched by my mobility and I encourage others to open themselves up to the experience. It was a life-changing opportunity, thank you!<\/em><\/strong>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n