TSMU students Shorena Babunashvili, Tinatin Bukhrashvili and Ekaterine Gachechiladze underwent internship at the University Hospital of Humboldt (Germany) within the framework of ERASMUS+ exchange program. The students had two-months practical internship in the Departments of Nephrology, Intensive Care, Emergency, General Surgery and Gastroenterology.
“For the first time in my life I encountered foreign atmosphere and it was very difficult as I had linguistic and cultural difficulties. “Cultural shock” was easily overcome as I soon realized to be lucky to study in one of the most prestigious clinics of the world. I had the opportunity to communicate with the world leading doctors and professors. I was especially interested in the direction of Surgery. I was given the opportunity to assist surgeons during unique operations performed only in the University Hospital of Humboldt. I learned a lot at the Department of Gastroenterology too where the daily routine was completely different from the Department of Surgery. We were given the opportunity to receive patients, examine them and be involved in their treatment process. The experience convinced me that I want to become a surgeon. I think I will return to Germany to gain more experience and become a successful doctor in Georgia'' – said Shorena Babunashvili.
“The experience obtained at the University Hospital of Humboldt let me grow personally and professionally. I underwent an internship in the Departments of Intensive Care and Nephrology where I encountered patients with acute and chronic kidney diseases. I had to meet new patients, collect anamnesis, perform physical examinations and present the patients’ history to the daily meetings of the doctors. I also attended kidney biopsies. These two months broadened my theoretical and practical knowledge and experience. The next month I spent in the Department of Intensive Care. It was challenging as while accepting patients, I had no idea about the pathology I was dealing with in advance. The situation was even more challenging and interesting. I was given the opportunity to inform doctors about physical and lab examinations of patients and assess the patients’ conditions together. I attended daily meetings with local students where leading doctors shared their experiences of diagnosing and treating specific diseases. Simultaneously, I read research articles published in scientific journals. I want to highlight, knowledge of the medical German language really helped me to integrate into clinical life soon. Therefore, I would advise students of TSMU to study German language and terminology well” said Ekaterine Gachechiladze.
“I am happy to spend two productive months in Germany. The first month I went to an internship in the German Heart Center (Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité). We used to attend radiology conferences where anamnesis of new patients and planned interventions were discussed. We also visited patients under the supervision of a doctor, attended sonographic or intervention cardiology examinations. The second part of the internship I spent in the Family Medicine Clinic where I used to spend nearly nine hours a day. I was given the opportunity to meet and examine patients, write down anamnesis and present it to the doctor. I am more self-confident today as these two months broadened my practical and theoretical knowledge a lot. The exchange programs are brilliant opportunities for students and I would advise all the medical students to participate in it. It is essential to know the language where the student wants to undergo internship. It seems very difficult from the beginning but trust me I am very happy today with the experience I gained in Germany” said Tinatin Bukhrashvili.
More than 20 TSMU students undergo internship in the European clinics within the framework of ERASMUS+ exchange programs every year.