Hello! My name is Samantha Dinsdale, and I am a junior from the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, USA. I am a Medical Biology major on the Pre-Medicine track with a minor in Latin American Studies. I decided to study abroad here in Seville, Spain in the Fall 2017 semester, and while fully immersing myself into this beautiful culture, I was given the opportunity to volunteer at a private hospital. I created a curriculum vitae and wrote a motivation letter, both in Spanish, and sent them to Miriam, our program coordinator, to have my information passed along. Upon my arrival, Miriam helped me gain contact with them and schedule an interview. The interviewers were from the International Office of the clinic and were enthusiastic about helping me find a position at the clinic. I first needed to take a test that every employee and volunteer must pass before starting. The test was to ensure my knowledge of the rules and regulations of the clinic, and after the lengthy process I was finally able to begin volunteering.

During my time at the clinic, I shadowed urgency and family medicine physicians who were eager to teach me and speak with me in Spanish. I learned how to diagnose and treat patients, the process of obtaining a medical degree in Spain, and how the clinic itself operates. Everyone within the clinic was kind, and I could improve my Spanish by speaking to every fellow employee, the patients, and pharmaceutical representatives. I loved going to the clinic every week to see how medicine in Spain operates in comparison to the United States. I learned a lot from this experience and will carry it with me throughout all my future endeavors.