Bonjour! My name is Thalita Kanaya from Universitas Brawijaya. Last summer, I had the opportunity to attend the SCOPE Exchange Program in France. The reason why I chose France in the first place is because it is one of the countries with the best health care system in the world. Many good doctors in history also come from France, so I thought it must be wonderful to have my internship there. I was accepted in Nancy, one of the most beautiful cities in France. It was so lovely to explore the city with many friends from around the world. My hospital, CHRU de Nancy, is also ranked as one of the most reputable hospitals in France. That’s why having my internship there will help me improve myself academically and professionally.
The preparation before going to France is hard and not hard at the same time. After doing the research I knew that the most important thing to have your eyes on is the visa. Based on my senior’s experience, I didn’t apply for a visa for France. Besides, I applied for a visa for the Netherlands because it was easier to get. I also prepared all the documents that were mentioned in the Exchange conditions at the website, such as my Curriculum Vitae, Health Insurance, and other things. Perks of going to Europe in summer is that we didn’t need to adapt with the weather that much, because there’s only a little bit of difference with Indonesia. I packed my usual clothes but I also brought warm clothes in case it gets cold at night. And because it’s summer holiday, don’t forget to book the tickets early for travelling around Europe before it’s sold out everywhere. Another important thing is I contacted my LEOs who was in charge at the time about the details of the exchange there.
Talking about the exchange, I was accepted at the Cardiovascular Surgery department. But in my hospital if you learn Cardiovascular Surgery, you will also learn about Cardiothoracic Surgery. So they gave me two certificates at the end period of the exchange. I had the best time there, with the best doctors and nurses. I was very excited back then to record the ECG of the patients, and observe in the surgery room. I also had the opportunity to learn how to record the echocardiogram, doing the TAVI surgery, and many other wonderful things at the hospital. But I have to be honest that there was one main problem for me, which is the language. Most people in France didn’t speak english. They speak French, and that is my biggest problem. Not gonna lie I tried so hard during the first week to communicate with others until I met the guy who can speak English, and he has helped me since then. So for the others who want to do the exchange in France, please learn French, it will help you I promise.
I really enjoyed living in Nancy. The city was very beautiful. It is a calm and busy city at the same time. The public transportations was good, there were many tourist attractions too. I love the Musée de Beaux-arts de Nancy and also Parc de la pépinière. I met many wonderful friends there. They are from Mexico, South Korea, Brazil and Jordan. I also love the boulangeries and pâtisseries there, the butter croissants and pain au chocolat were delicious. Usually I walked my way to the hospital every morning and went back home in the afternoon. I love my apartment there. It was a great and clean apartment. My host wasn’t there during the exchange because she went to Greece for holiday. The LEOs arranged only one cultural night for us to share our food at the beginning of the exchange. I love spending time with my friends there just by having the picnic at the park or strolling around the city everyday.
I do really hope these experiences that I got for a month in France will help me to achieve my dreams in the future, also helping me increase my qualification as a doctor. Once again thank you very much for having me IFMSA, CIMSA, and SCOPE. Was an honor to be a part of this amazing journey, looking forward to another and many more opportunities ahead. And lastly for France, my hosting country, here’s me hoping it is au revoir and not goodbye.
