60 days in Sri Lanka. My nursing internship

After graduating from high school, I didn't want to start studying right away. Instead, I wanted to see something of the world and complete a three-month nursing internship before starting my studies. Then I saw an advertisement for travel4med on Instagram and discovered that I could combine both of these plans with you. I found an internship abroad even more exciting than just traveling, because I hoped to gain a more personal and better insight into the culture of a country and at the same time learn more about medicine than I would during an internship in Germany. I wanted to meet new people with similar interests and just get out of my comfort zone. I chose Sri Lanka because I imagined the leisure activities there would be more varied than in Nepal. (The Bali location was not yet ready at the time of my booking.)

Since I booked well in advance, I had enough time to find out about all the necessary vaccinations, etc. I used your vaccination overview on Instagram as a guide. I found your video tutorial on booking a visa super helpful, especially because the constant changes to visa requirements had made me a little uncertain beforehand. The packing list was also great. Overall, I felt really well prepared, especially because Celina always responded super quickly to my questions and supported me. :)

At the airport, I couldn't find my driver at first, but with Archie's help, everything worked out. The ride was totally relaxed. When I arrived at the villa, Uncle welcomed me with a welcome drink despite the early hour (5 a.m.). I didn't expect that at all, but I thought it was very sweet. Overall, I felt very well taken care of and very comfortable.

I can't really describe a typical day because each day was very different depending on the ward and shift. In the first month, before the semester break, I was usually assigned to the morning shift, which in retrospect I liked best because of the higher number of patients. Since I had very little medical knowledge or skills, I was usually not assigned any specific tasks. I was primarily a silent observer, but even so, I was able to see and learn a lot. If we had any questions, we could always ask the doctors or nursing staff, who were very willing to explain in detail what was being done or discussed. I had the feeling that the doctors were very keen to teach us as much as possible about their field. Contact with the patients was usually difficult because many of them did not speak English, but that was not a problem because we were never alone with the patients anyway.

Under medical supervision, however, we did have contact with patients from time to time. For example, in the gynecology clinic, I was allowed to palpate the position of the baby in the mother's womb and listen to the heartbeat during a prenatal examination. In oncology, we were allowed to palpate various tumors when we accompanied the preoperative rounds. From time to time, we were also able to participate in teaching lessons for local students, which were held at the hospital and were always very informative. Upon request, JD also showed us the psychiatric ward one afternoon, where the contrast to the German healthcare system was most evident, as mental illness is rarely treated or discussed in Sri Lanka.

However, I spent most of my time in the various operating rooms. Among the most exciting operations were a brain tumor removal, hand plastic reconstruction after an accident with a flex, and a twin cesarean section.

I was pleasantly surprised by the healthcare system. As expected, the standards were lower than in Germany, especially with regard to patient information, privacy, and infection control, but the supply situation and chances of recovery were better than I had imagined. Since the entire healthcare system has to make do with very few material, technical, and medical resources, the medical and nursing staff have to rely much more on their own knowledge. This gave me the impression that learning and teaching are much more important than in Germany. Even I, a completely ignorant and inexperienced intern, always received respectful and patient answers to all my questions.

At the same time, however, it must be emphasized that some surgical situations were not for the faint of heart and would be unthinkable in Germany. Every now and then, patients woke up during surgery and the anesthetist was not even in the room. Minor local procedures were simply performed without anesthetic while the patients screamed—including an amputation of the big toe. The treatment of patients in the gynecology clinic was also less sensitive than what one is used to in Germany. Nevertheless, I am grateful for all the experiences I was able to gain, as I would probably not have experienced and learned most of them in Germany.

During the week, we were at the beach almost every day before or after our shift at the hospital, usually at Shacks – either to surf, swim, or just lie in the sun. On rainy days, we often went to the surrounding cafés in Unawatuna or to the fort. Of course, the pool was always a great place to spend a relaxing afternoon as well.

In the evenings, before the weekly "entertainment program" was introduced, we often played Werewolf. Especially when it wasn't so crowded, living together felt very familiar and we did most things together as a large group. On the weekends, we went on longer trips (usually with overnight stays) in small groups to explore Sri Lanka as much as possible. These included safaris, a hiking trip to Ella, whale watching (without whales :/), road trips along the south coast, a rainforest tour, and a hike up Adams Peak. As you can see, there were really a multitude of options for leisure activities, and although we were constantly on the move, I only saw a fraction of the country. It was super convenient that Archie was often able to organize affordable and comfortable transportation for us and was always available in case any difficulties arose along the way.

Oh, and of course, we can't forget the legendary party nights in the various clubs along the south coast. Overall, with all these experiences, I couldn't decide what I liked best—the whole time was simply unforgettable.

During my internship, the group dynamics changed significantly. The first few weeks before the semester break, when there were just under 30 of us, felt very calm and familiar. We all knew each other, did a lot together, and got along really well. Over time, real friendships developed within the subgroups, which were mostly formed based on room and age, and these friendships continue even now that we are back in Germany.

The more crowded it became, the more confusing and separate our coexistence became. The division of the villas in particular led to unnecessary discussions and made it more difficult to organize communal evenings/activities outside the "official" program. I am very happy that I was part of a harmonious group during this phase and that we continued to do a lot together. The atmosphere in the hospital was great throughout the entire time. The rotating schedule meant that you always had the chance to get to know new people a little better and you were never alone, which created a certain feeling of security.

The internship was hugely enriching on both a professional and personal level. I learned a great deal medically and gained valuable insight into various specialist areas, which probably wouldn't have been possible during an internship in Germany. After the internship, I feel even more confident in my decision to study medicine because I gained a broader insight into various areas of work and was able to decide for myself whether I can imagine such a career for myself.

I also learned a lot on a personal level—about myself and who I want to be, as well as about interpersonal relationships. I made great new friends who are still in touch months later—not only because we share memories, but also because we have similar plans for the future, goals, and interests.

Accordingly, I would recommend everyone to do at least part of their internship/studies with travel4med. The internship broadened my horizons incredibly on a personal and medical level, and at the same time, I hardly had to worry about any organizational aspects. Neither before, after, nor during my stay were there any problems that I had to deal with on my own, which meant I could put all my energy into the internship, into relationships with the people around me, and into exploring a new country.

Nevertheless, I would recommend doing at least one month of the nursing internship in Germany in order to recognize and understand the differences between the healthcare systems – and also to be more realistically prepared for everyday medical life in Germany. I spent the month in Germany before my trip with travel4med, which I would recommend in hindsight, as the more strenuous part is already done and you can gain your first surgical experience in a calmer and cleaner environment – which is perhaps a gentler introduction.