Studying abroad in Italy has allowed me to realize that being able to communicate is the key to successful relationships, and that being adaptable and resilient to change is a very important part of being able to learn from challenging situations. I intend to apply the things I have learned about communication into my future career as a physician; being emotionally aware of people and their needs is a skill that I have sharpened via my experience in my internship, and it is a skill that will allow me to provide better care for future patients.
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Being totally immersed in a culture very different than mine has allowed me to mature and become appreciative of others and their values; it has also taught me that they key to being adaptable in adverse circumstances is a constant positive attitude. I am excited for the opportunity to integrate an attitude of lifelong learning, respect for differing cultures, and positivity into my experience in medical school.
The experience has taught me the extreme power in nutrition choices: I believe that this is a key part to a person’s health and wellness. As a psychology major, I believe that emotional, physical, and cognitive health all interact constantly; to address one of these core principles without addressing the others is ineffective. Experiencing living in another country where the culture is extremely focused on nutritional health and emotional well-being has been a powerful experience that has allowed me to recognize the value in diverse relationships, develop my problem-solving skills and adaptability in a challenging environment.
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As an innately curious person, living in another country has allowed me to gain perspective on the connection between Americans and Italians. I have not only been able to observe this relationship, I have experienced it first-hand. Compared to some Italian behavioral norms, American personalities seem to be uptight, controlling, indirect, and inauthentic. However, since my internship coordinator recognized that I was American, she recognized these behavioral tendencies in me as “well-organized, resilient, and polite.” The only reason she was able to recognize my strengths and I was able to apply them in order to be a helpful team member was because we each recognized that cultural expectations are vastly different in Italy than they are in America. We each had to adjust to the cultural reality of the other person; I had to recognize that I was required to take more initiative and be more direct with my intentions than I would have in a similar job in America, and she had to recognize that I had American behavioral tendencies. Since we each chose to recognize the cultural differences, we created a successful partnership and an efficient team. Without this recognition, however, cultural differences can make communication impossible. Being able to remove oneself from your personal perspective and see yourself through the eyes of another person, especially a person who has a different global perspective than you, is extremely vital to personal growth. It allows you to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses in the specific enviornment, which in turn allows you to address those weaknesses while simultaneously relying on and improving upon your strengths.
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Running the bed and breakfast is a very large undertaking that requires the work of a diverse team; the common goal of successfully caring for the guests while upholding excellent standards both in hospitality and nutrition creates a strong sense of unity among the employees at Le Tore. This experience taught me the value of diversity in a group; without the combination of each person’s unique knowledge and skills, the goal of running the bed and breakfast successfully could not be accomplished. Being at Le Tore taught me the power in teamwork and diversity of knowledge and experience; I observed the commitment that each employee had to the operation and witnessed the teamwork among the group. Interning at Le Tore has taught me life lessons that have allowed me to recognize and develop my communication skills, adaptability, teamwork skills, and appreciation for diversity.