What inspired you to work for Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program?
Being able to help young people fulfill their dreams and pursue their projects is incredibly rewarding.
Guiding them along the way, offering support and advice, and seeing them grow personally and professionally, while also connecting with people from all over the world, makes this experience truly meaningful and inspiring.
Describe a typical day at work.
My Brazilian students from Summer 2024 — I’m in the center doing a peace sign; we had just finished a group dinner!
Our days vary depending on the season, but a typical day when students arrive in Italy starts with welcoming them at the airport and guiding them to their housing. We explain their schedule, accompany them to hospitals, ensure a smooth shadowing experience, and organize activities like group dinners, cooking classes, or excursions to make their stay enjoyable and memorable.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I love seeing students explore specialties they’re passionate about or discover ones they never considered. Hearing their stories about how hospital shadowing broadens their perspectives and shapes both their professional and personal view of healthcare is truly inspiring.
For example, I had a student from Brazil who dreamed of seeing an open-heart surgery. We managed to accommodate her, and when I saw her leaving the OR, eyes filled with happy tears and a bright smile, I felt so grateful and happy. She is now starting her first cardiology rotation back home, and I’m so proud of her.
That’s just one of the many amazing stories we get to witness and be part of.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
Having worked as a teacher, I bring that experience to my role, guiding and supporting students as they navigate their shadowing experience.
My background in biology fuels a deep love for science and a curiosity about health research. I enjoy exploring, discussing, and sharing this with students to inspire their learning and broaden their understanding of healthcare.
An amazing group of female healthcare students from the USA and India, getting ready to start a new shadowing day at the hospital.
What challenges do you often face, and how do you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges is adapting to the unexpected. Hospitals can be unpredictable, and situations often change at a moment’s notice.
We need to be flexible and ready to adjust schedules and activities quickly, ensuring that students still have a meaningful and safe experience while respecting hospital protocols and patient boundaries.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Don’t worry too much—travel is full of surprises, and it’s exactly that unpredictability that makes it such a life-changing experience.
Along the way, you’ll make friends, so don’t be shy. Ask questions, take advantage of every opportunity, and remember to pause and truly enjoy each moment, because before you know it, you’ll be back home.
What makes Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program special?
One of the most rewarding aspects of the program is that students get to experience the Italian healthcare system, a unique public system that prioritizes people.
They also observe cultural differences in the relationship between patients and healthcare workers, helping them become more adaptable, compassionate, and professional. Beyond the hospital, students can explore Italy’s rich culture, cuisine, and art, while connecting with healthcare students from around the world and exchanging experiences.
Another great advantage is that program coordinators handle the practical aspects of the program, allowing students to focus on both their hospital shadowing and cultural immersion fully.
Why should someone choose Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program over competitors?
I believe that all of us put our hearts into our work. We truly believe this experience can help future healthcare professionals grow and broaden their perspectives.
We always go the extra mile to ensure that our students will cherish their time with us. For us, it’s also very important to create a global healthcare network of professionals who believe in healthcare without borders, open to all, and grounded in fairness and collaboration.
What hopes do you have for the future for Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program?
We continuously strive to grow and build new partnerships with hospitals in Italy and across Europe, aiming to provide our students with richer, more diverse experiences. Expanding these connections ensures that each student has access to a wider variety of specialties, perspectives, and opportunities during their program.
Are there any developments with Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program that you would like to share with us?
This was the first group I managed as a Program Coordinator in Summer 2023! This is when we were doing one of our cultural activities – a city tour around Bologna.
We are excited to announce the launch of our Italian classes for healthcare students. These courses are designed to help students learn Italian from a healthcare perspective, enriching their professional skills while also enhancing their overall experience in Italy.
By combining language learning with a practical medical context, students can navigate hospitals, interact more confidently with staff and patients, and fully immerse themselves in both the culture and the healthcare environment.
What is Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program’s mission, and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our main goal is to build a global network of healthcare professionals who are adaptable, capable of working across borders, and committed to a vision of health that goes beyond mere numbers.
We aim to connect like-minded individuals who value compassion, collaboration, and innovation, fostering a community that can make a meaningful impact on healthcare worldwide.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope fellows take away a deeper understanding of healthcare in an international context, gaining real clinical exposure while observing Italian hospitals and specialists. Beyond medicine, I want them to develop cultural awareness, adaptability, and a broader perspective on patient care, teamwork, and professionalism.
I also hope they build lasting connections with peers from around the world, feel inspired by new experiences, and return home with both professional insights and personal growth that will shape their future careers and approach to healthcare.
How do you help support participants?
Program Coordinators serve as the main point of reference for students, handling all practical aspects of the experience so students can fully focus on learning and enjoying their time.
From housing and transportation to navigating hospitals, coordinators ensure everything runs smoothly, allowing students to immerse themselves in shadowing, cultural activities, and exploring Italy without worries.
If you could participate on one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
Me, up front, guiding the group through the metro in Milan, with my Winter 2024 students.
As a biologist, I would love to participate in the Animal Care program in Rome or Florence. I love animals, and I’m sure I would truly enjoy the program—working with rescue animals who have a second chance and learning how to care for them would be a dream.
Regarding the Human Health program, I would love to join our Trieste placement, since it’s a pediatric hospital. I find it fascinating how resilient little kids are, and I love working with them because they are so curious and creative.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Traveling abroad and experiencing new cultures is essential because it broadens perspectives, fosters empathy, and develops adaptability—qualities that are crucial in healthcare.
By seeing how medicine is practiced in different contexts, interacting with diverse patients and professionals, and immersing themselves in local traditions, students gain both professional insights and personal growth that will enrich their careers and their understanding of the world.
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
My advice for anyone thinking about going abroad is to embrace the experience fully and stay open to new challenges. Travel is unpredictable, and the best moments often come from the unexpected.
Ask questions, meet new people, immerse yourself in the culture, and take every opportunity to learn—both professionally and personally. Don’t worry about small details; focus on growth, curiosity, and enjoying the journey, because these experiences can be truly life-changing.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel, to me, is more than visiting new places—it’s about learning, growing, and connecting. It means immersing yourself in a different culture, understanding how people live and work, and gaining new perspectives.
For healthcare students, it’s about seeing medicine in another context, building empathy, and developing both personally and professionally. Meaningful travel leaves a lasting impact, shaping how you view the world and your place in it.
