Hei!

I came to Finland to do my practical trainings as a physiotherapy student here for three months. Now I have been here in Jyväskylä for one week. It is quite cold in here and very snowy – it has made me think about Christmas from the first day I arrived here.

People in Finland are very friendly and polite. They always help when asked and say “kiitos” (thank you) and “ole hyvä” (you’re welcome) all the time.

Considering the practical training, it is more independent here than in Estonia or at least it has been for so far. It is more like working and practicing the skills that you already have than learning something new in here.

What is bad about Finland is that travel costs are very high – one bus ticket cost here 3 EUR. But I’m hoping to get some discount as soon as I get my student card for travelling.

It is also nice that a lot of people in Finland can understand and speak English so there will not be much language problems here. But as the Estonian and Finnish languages sound very similar, many people has asked me if I can speaks or understand Finnish as well. Actually I can understand a bit but I can’t talk Finnish yet, but I am hoping to improve in this matter.

Now I’m going to finish this blog by wishing lots of snow to Estonia too!

Mari, FT III

New study year has started

Hi,

Few weeks have already passed from the beginning of the new 2010/2011 study year, everybody has found their working rhythm. We just had 5 teachers from University of Verona, they were very pleased with persons and things they saw (teachers, students, practice bases etc). Hopefully we will have soon bilateral agrement with University of Verona in physiotheraphy, radiography, bioanalitycs and environmenthal health curricula. At this point our college has 28 partner institutions under Erasmus programm in 15 European countries. At this point we can also say that with Erasmus programme there will be at least 23-25 outgoing students from our college and about 10 incoming student to our college. Also there will be about 10 incoming students with other programmes/projects (Leonardo, Nordman Netork etc).
So my suggestion to all of you keep looking to our blog and you will find often new posts in the blog.

Have a nice autumn,
Danel

Hi,
That's all, my practice in Estonia is over. I can't believe that summer has passed so quickly and now I'm at home.
I am very glad that I had the opportunity to get experience here. I'm also glad that I had the opportunity to travel to Estonia, met many wonderful people. I believe that through this practice, I became stronger in my mind and of course in my knowledge.
If I'll have the chance to repeat this practice again, I'm sure, I'll do it.

Good luck,
Giedre

hey!

I am back in home and my Erasmus time in Barcelona is over, but if i am thinking about this time, then I have only really good memories. I learned a lot in hospital, I got a lot of good friends and experiences. I enjoied this life there and I really recommend to be Erasmus student where ever, because every country is especial and there people have to cope with difference situations and this kind of ability is also really important for the nurses and the other workers, who are connected with medicine, because we never now what what tommorrow will bring for us.

Good luck,
Kertu

Hi,
That's already halfway of my practice in Estonia. These six weeks have been amazing. During this time I learned so many new things, improved my skills in massage, I saw many wonderful places. So, my practice in Toila SPA Hotel ended. Was a bit sad to leave all: emploees with whom I worked, new friends, but the time has come to see new thins, to meet new people, to get more new experience.
Now I am in Haapsalu. Here I am having a practice with children in Haapsalu Neurological Rehabilitation Centre. Because many physiotherapists are now going on holidays, so I'll work with more than one physioterapist during this practice, but I think it's very good for my experience.

Giedre

Practice in Toila

Hello,

How fast time is running here in Toila. I hadn't notice how I spent another two weeks here. More and more people are coming here, so here is no time for boredom.
Now I have three roommates, who are having practice in Toila SPA hotel too. Of course they are having practice in kitchen. I think that one of the advantages of this practice is that you can meet a lot of new people.

Giedre

Диагностично-Консультативен Центр II-Пловдив ЕООД, Bulgaria

I have now my last practice in the mammography. I like it very much. The collective are so nice and friendly. Then I come to the practice in the morning first I meet security. Everyone say hello to me. My teacher's name is Krasimira. She is radiology technician. There works radiologist in the hospital. His name is Hristov. Today he proposed to me see breast ultrasound. Certainly I was agree.
Anzelika RT2

Hello!

I’m Joana and I‘m from Portugal. I’m here in Estonia Since the end of February. About my experience here I just can say that it is amazing. Everyone has been nice with me since I arrived. So I couldn’t be more grateful for that. For me to live here it’s also a good experience because I can contact and communicate with people with a different culture and style life. Here it’s everything so calm and peaceful and we can find a lot of places to have fun at the same time and to rest in the Nature.

I’m living now in a dormitory with others Erasmus students. So, here I can also have other contact with different nationalities which is very good too!
In the beginning it was a little difficult to be here, I think that the first 2 weeks is when we miss a lot our country and essentially our family and friends. But after a few time we accept that we are living here and start to enjoy a lot this country and this Estonian people!
Now I’m continue having my practice in Environmental Helth, the same that I stud in Portugal and I’m enjoying that.

For this period of time I had new experiences, since being in the hospital because a skin problem, appear in an Estonian journal and others. So, this 4months, they will be something that I will never forget in my life and I will remember them always with nostalgia!

I can not remember anything more to tell you but I will write soon.
Good luck for everyone who is in Erasmus too!
Kind regards ,
Kisses,
Joana

Greetings from Malta!

I am very sorry, that I haven´t written for a long time, cause my internet use is quite limited here. In any case, I have done already my radiotherapy placement and now is running my final placement in accident and emergency department.

When I had radiotherapy, then I had to go to Valletta, because Sir Boffa Hospital (oncology hospital) were there. Valletta locates in 6 km from my hostel, so I used public transport a lot J. But it takes almost an hour to get to Valletta, even if it is less then 10 km because the traffic here is insane, so you have to reserve little bit more time if you want to get in time. In oncology hospital there were very international working team from India, Netherlands, Serbia and only few maltese radiographers. But staff there were very friendly and they were very happy to see me there. The principal radiotherapist very good teacher, he explained all the time what is going on in the department and he instructed me how to position the patient and how to use remote control of the equipment. I had really good time there.

Now my two weeks I´ll spend in casualty, this is place, wher they are doing examinations for emergency patientś and also chest x-rays for the inpatient´s. Already in my first day radiographers let me to do examinations. There are no differencies in positoning the patient but equipment is different comparing with estonia. In Mater Dei hospital there are only GE equipment and this is all digital.

One day I spent in operating theatre and I saw what are radiographers doing there. I had a opportunity to observe operation of ankle and wrist, this was really interestingJ.

Weather unfortunately haven´t been very good most of the time is cloudy, however when the sun is shining it is really hot, but I am quite surprised that I have seen the rain a lot here even the locals say, that this year have been surprisingly rainy.

Silja Tammai

Practice in Jurmala

Greetings from Estonia!

As we remember, it was a wonderful and educating time in Riga and we were very glad to meet foreign medical personal and exchange experience with them. On our practice mission we had MRI, CT, Angeography, X-ray and other departments to deal with. It was very comfortable, that one of us could speak Latvian language and both of us were abble to communicate on Russian with our colleagues and teachers.

Speaking about X-RAY for children, it was interesting and difficult to study, because of patience needed there, politenes and allso careful, tolerant work. Angeography was interesting as well.
After our hard lessons and practice we were abble to visit many interesting places in Latvia. We were visiting many different, interesting places all over the Riga: Lido, aqua park, opera, cinemas and even in night club :). We were allso in Sigulda town.

We want to say BIG thank you to Danel and Aiga - our coordinators. And allso thanks to Zinaida Läänelaid for opportunity to participate in ERASMUS programm. Allso thanks to all colleagues, students and other medical personal from Estonia and Latvia.

Tatjana & Zinaida.

Practice in Toila

Hi,
Here's yet another week has passed. Now I feel like at home here, everything here is well known and familiar. Staff here are very friendly and patient, always willing to help, give advice or teach. My massage skills everyday are improving, so I has started work on my own.
It is unfortunate that this week has been bad weather: rain and cold. However, after a day's work I can always go to the swimming pool, gym, thermae. I hope that next week will be better weather and I could go to sea, have a sunbathe.

Giedre

Greetings from Barcelona!

Now I had finished my first really nice practice in here and I am doing the second one. First department was nefrologia and vasculatoria and the second is day hospital of oncologia and hematologia. I like it, but the first practice was a little bit better, because generally I don't like day hospital. The pacients are changing all the time and the work there is quite rutine. In spite of this, the abilities what I can learn there are certainly really useful to me. The stuff are also really friendly and nice.

And this, how quickly the time is passing in here, is really incredible. I feel like I just came to here, but it was almost three months ago and now I have only three weeks left. And my cursemate Maarjo has already finished his practice in here and he left to home.

Now the weather is also really nice and warm, but fortunately not too hot yet:).

Best wishes,

Kertu

Practice in Toila

Hello,
I am Giedrė, student from Kaunas College, Health Care Faculty (from Lithuania). I came to Estonia 16, May. First two days I spent in Tartu. It is very beautiful city. I want to thank Daniel for a beautiful and welcoming reception and also I want to thank for all people, who helped me to reach Toila.
Now I am in Toila SPA hotel and I am going here to have six weeks of practice. It is a wonderful place and everybody are very friendly here. Of course, I have difficulty for language, but I think that every day will only be better and better.

Giedrė

Practice in Riga (Jurmala)

Hello from Jurmala,
The closer the summer comes the more colorful Jurmala becomes. It is so beautiful that it is even hard to come back to hostel. The air is so fresh. We are really happy we could visit Jurmala and had a chance to stay there for such a long time.
Since last blog we have managed to pass practice in ray therapy in Stradini hospital. We are glad we have done it since this was somenthing new for us. Many thanks to Stradini work collective who helped us and answered to all our questions. Ray teraphy department has undergone reconstruction so it was very confortable to learn and stay there. Interesting fact about the reconstruction is that the premises of the department are located in cellar and during reconstruction works workers found a room which was not even mentioned in construction plan. Who knows what it was made for. Hospital decided to leave the room as it looked like when it was found. The room is used for different meetings now.

Tatjana & Zinaida

The End

Last week passed so fast for us, we hardly noticed that. Anyway, the last week was full of getting to know new knowledges about microbiology and it was also really interesting and new for us. In laboratory we did a lot work by ourselves and we were great :) Last day we thanked our instructor and brought a really nice cake as well. In the evening we did something more fun. We visited national park of Kemeri, which was really cute and all surroundings was nice, but still it´s really old and there are a lot of work which is needed to be done. The next evening was so nice outside that we decided to go to Majori and to get the right Jurmala´s feeling on Jomas street – by enyoing really delicious food in the outdoor cafes. And something else....at long last we visited Livu Akvaparks, we just were waiting for a good weather to go there. And we don´t regret that at all. Those really cool atractions...we had so much fun out there. And of course..this pool bar....delicious cocteils they made there...yammmi :)
Those were our last adventures in Jurmala. It was really hard to leave that place, because we made so many friends in dormitory....they are all just wonderful students. At least Jurmala is not so far from Estonia and especially from Tartu :) So we can go there whenever we would love to.
Those six weeks were GREAT and a BIIIIG thank you to our coordirators Danel and Aiga (from Jurmala). Aiga helped us so much and it is hard to find someone who would be as nice as her :) Thank you to all, that we had such an amazing and unforgettable time in Jurmala.

Always your´s Mirian & Olesja

Microbiology laboratory praxis starts...

From this week we are in the microbiology laboratory. This labor is situated in a different building, that´ s why they have a lot of rooms where to work, nevertheless some of the rooms are quite narrow. There are a lot of work to do and we are lucky because of that, as we have a lot of praxis by ourselves :) After our laboratory work, we also found a time to visit market of Riga. It was incredibly big and full of fresh vegetables and fruits. We found strawberries and melon which were both really sweet and tasty :) For Friday night there was a plan to go to play bowling with Spanish and German students and of course there were also Latvian students with us. It was a great evening and we continued that night with two Spanish students on the Essential club in Riga. On Saturday we went with (Spanish) Raul, Virginia and Erika to the Majori. It´s located 40 minutes from Jurmala by walking distance. It was such a nice weather and we decided to go there by beach :) When we arrived it was such a pleasure to eat a really good ice cream and enjoy sunshine. As it was the last day for Spanish students…it was a little night organized for them where we could talk about everything what happened during their staying in Latvia. After all, Jurmala is going ever nicer and nicer day by day. It is so sad to think, that we are going to leave such a nice place on the next week.

Olesja and Mirian

Seven weeks in Lisbon

Today started our 7th week in Portugal. We arrived on 26nd of March after a 12 really long hours in Tallinn, Vilnius, Amsterdam and finally Lisbon. So when we finally arrived here, we were really tired, but nontheless happy. Fortunately we had our loyal tutors Claudia and Filipa waiting for us at the airport although the flight was delayed. In the beginning there was a little misunderstanding with accomodation, but it turned out fine. Anyway, our apartment is nice and beside ourselves here’s living other international students.

Within these weeks we have seen a lot of Lissabon and even south Portugal. We have met lots of new people from Portugal and also from around the world and even met some Estonians.

Weather has been really good – probably the highest temperature so far has been 32 ̊C. People are really helpful and although mostly they don’t speak english, we can always manage, even if it means explaining with hands and feet. It’s quite amazing how much time they have and there’s never any rush.

We started our practice on 29th of March. The bases are great and peaople are really helpful. We probably won’t reach all our goals, but still, we’re satisfied, cause most of the bases are places where we can’t go at home. For example, Roman was doing his practice in NAVI toxicology lab. Also we’ve seen molecular biology and at the moment in mycology lab. We are also going to local blood bank.

We were lucky to attend some local classes about PCR, but it turned out to be quite similar.

We also found our school logo in Lisbon, it’s somekind of ice-cream company logo and reversed, but still, remainds us home.

Warm greetings,

Roman, Laura, Tiina

4 week in Jurmala

Last weekend we went home. By bus it takes 4 hours from Riga to Tartu. It´s quite long trip in view of that in the bus it is a little bit narrow. Anyway the price is quite reasonable for this trip (by train it´s more cheaper), with the same amount of the price we can take a trip in Estonia from Tartu to Tallinn. So we arrived to the laboratory and the first question what our instructor Irina asked from us: ``Do you still remember that we have tonight a trip by discobus ``???!!! Of course we remembered that, how can we forget :) After that we were teached by a doctor to observe blood preparates under the microscope, finishing that day in laboratory we went by train as usually to the dormitory to do preparations for the night. This evening was unforgettable. Suddenly there was a big bus in front of our dormitory and the music which played there was really loud...I guess it sounds to everyone around 100m. We stepped in and voila....the party starts. There were 5 laborant technicians from Paula Stradina hospital. Our route took us to the beach of Jurmala and we saw a big turtle there...it was funny, everyone tried to clime on that turtle :) After that, we went to see Daugava, Lido and the most important Riga on nigt lights. All stopping places were amazing where we took a lot of beautiful photos and also found out about Latvian history. The old town of Riga was really really nice with all these night lights....we enyojed that a lot. In the bus was playing music and the bus owner was also there as a DJ. Incredible night we had and that all thanks to our amazing instructor IRINA :) Other days were pretty much usual...dormitory-laboratory. Unfortunately our time in Clinical Laboratory ended at the end of the week. To show how grateful we are...we made by ourselves a diploma also nice posy of flowers and of course a cake. In fact, it´s impossible to describe all the warmth, kindness and of course professional, experienced by the past four weeks we were there.

Olesja and Mirian

Hello everybody from Madrid

Anneliis
Hello everybody. Time goes so quickly down here, because the city is so big and so beutiful and there is lot to do. Our neighbourhood turns out to be really good and safe place to live. And there is RealMadrid homestadion nearby as well as my first practic place, Hospital San Rafael, which is private hospital, and they say it is a lot different than public hospital. My next practice is in public, so in the end I can compare them. Anyway about my practice, childrens physical therapy is really interesting. There is a big room for all patients, and there is a lot of noise, but in one corner is separated box, where one physical therapist deals only with children, there I´m spending most of my time, still observating, but it is interesting to see how therapist uses different methods and gets the contact with children. Most of the patients have neurological problem, and the main method therapist uses is Bobath. The tutor is nice and we get good contact when the children are alone, but most of the parents are there and they ask about condition of their child and communicate, so I´m watching what therapist does and practise my listening and understanding of spanish:D Anyway i have been there for 2 weeks, 4 more, and hope to get my hands attached as well. But i´m pleased even now
Kaisa
Ou yes! Time goes too fast here. And finally we started our practice! I’m doing it in a litte school – Colegio de Integracion Motorica Mejico, where are also children with motoric problems. My tutors are really nice people and helpful, and know their work perfectly. There is two of them – Pablo and Marisa. Pablo speaks a litte english but Marisa doesn’t. It’s hard, but my understanding of spanish gets better every day. I definitely learn a lot from them, especially the attitude and communicating with children. Over the past 2 weeks I have never seen a sad child. Children are truly happy there and always come to physiotherapists room with a smiling faces! Also the techniques and different ortosis, machines, exercises, rare diagnosis – I’m really lucky to be there, to see all that and practice. I have done some lessons and helped physiotherapists, but it’s hard, because I don’t speak that good spanish. I hope that everything we’ll be as good as right now. 

Jurmala

This week was full of events. We are so glad to tell that students in Jurmala have time and energy to deal with a lot of different stuff besides school duties. On Tuesday, there was a song concert at school, where we had a chance to listen songs from school choir. And again we were convinced that latvian sounds so nicely and this is of course thanks to amazing voices of choir singers too :) On Wednesday we had a new event in our schedule – competition of orientation. We were called to the team by one latvian girl Valentina. The minimum amount of the team members were 5, so besides three of us, there were also two latvian girls. In orientation we had to pass seven points, in each point we had some kind of tasks to solve. At start there was a rain but luckily it stopped quite soon :) From 9 teams, we got 4th place and for premium we got candies. The first three places got champagnes and candies as well :) To all competitors were given tea and biscuits, to get fast in a good shape. After that we were all celebrating our places and that was an amazing evening for all of us. In laboratory are everything fine and we´re getting smarter day by day. In one day we were listening with spain students to a lecture on blood coagulation and related factor by Siemens company agent. Also we are doing there routine duties as well. At the end of the week, we had a chance to visit one Latvian private laboratory which was quite big and modern.

Mirian and Olesja

Hola, amigos de Estonia,

Maarjo

The Barcelona school life is very interesting. All the lectures /lessons are in Spanish and the powerpoints are in Catalan – we understood quite lots of them, because the medicine language is Latin and everything bases of Latin. We made new friends at school and we like the lessons.

Then we had an Easter about week: we visited Sagrada Familia (cathedral –one of the famous sights in Barcelona), Parc Güell, where everything had very beautiful view over Barcelona; Montujic Parc ( famous National Catalan museum and watersource shows) and then I had a birthday on the restaurant, where we tasted paellas (Spanish/Catalan national food).

We were waiting for a long time our practice and finally, at 6th of April, it started at Sabadell and the hospital name is Parc Tauli, which was one of the biggest ones in Spain. The first day was very interested, we had a meeting and excursion to hospital. And we were showed many rooms.

Now we are staying in the hospital for a week and we like it. The co-workers are very helpful and friendly. The day starts at 8 clock and finishes about 15. 30 ( - 16.30, it depends). I take the blood everyday and I try to put the catheter and I do the EKG.

Kertu

Sorry that I haven’t wrote to here long time. I have had really busy time and also here are many problems about the internet. And every time when I went to the campus office and complain about that I don’t have internet again, then the lady in the campus office smiling and saying all the time, sorry, we can’t to anything today, maybe tomorrow, because the info technology specialist went to home already. And it is quite common, that the IT man come to your house 1,5 or 2 weeks later, because in here people have a lot of time:D:D Usually they don’t hurry. It is so typical Spain. If I skip this part, then everything is superJ.

Now a little bit about the hospital. The name is Parc Tauli. I am on the nephrology and vasculatures and Maarjo is in oncology. I really like mine department. Work is very interesting there and all crew is really friendly and they are smiling all the time. People are always positive and this is definitely one thing what we should learn to themJ.

We had to wait 5 weeks all together get a nurse, who can speak English, but mine cant speaks much, but she can understand, if I speak slowly and using the simple words. She is speaking mostly Spanish to me and I am speaking English to her. But it’s not problem for us. We used really mixed languageJ. But still, I am very happy, because, she is my reference nurse. She is a good teacher. She really wants that I can understand everything. If I can’t understand at the first time, then, she is explaining again, if it isn’t still helpful, then she try to draw or show me some thing what can be helpful. Also she really trust me..on my 4^th day in hospital, I did almost everything what she is doing usually. In Estonia in my mind reference nurses don’t trust the trainers very much and firstly the can do only really easy things, like take a blood presser etc.

In here I can do injections, take a blood, clean and treat the wounds, do a blood transfusion and teardrop infusion etc. It means every thing. It is really nice and I am learning a lot at this practice time.

There are also some differences between the Estonian and Spanish hospital, but they are not so big like I thought before. There are thing which are better in Estonia and the other thing what are better in here. For example, in here people don’t have to do waste separation, what we always have to do in hospital. It is not use to me. But in here nurses have to fill some more papers and the have to put their signature almost every where. I think it is good for the security aspects.

Hasta bronto,

Besos,

Kertu and Maarjo J

Practice in Riga

Greetings from Jurmala and Riga,
Since our last post we have managed to compete a few more practical x-ray exercises in Clinical university hospital of children and MRI. These exercises went very succesful for us. We have gathered great amount of knowledge and stuff also allowed us to work for our own without supervision.
We have decided that when we come back to Tallinn we shall also introduce the Erasmus programme to other students. It would be helpful for practical knowledge to involve as many students as possible to participate in programme.
The college where we are living during our practice was open door day. Future students could learn about the college, it's profesors and profesion itself. It was plesant for us to see that very many scholars are interested in our profesion.
It was unusually good weather last weekend, approximately 20C*, it was the first time we could really have a good walk and sightseeing of Jurmala. Hope to have a good look on Riga as well later on.

Kind regards,
Tatjana and Zinaida.

Pactice in Tartu.

Tere,

We are students from P.Stradins Medical College of the University of Latvia. We came here in Tartu at 12.04.2010. Daniel who is Erasmus Coordinator of Tartu Health Health care college was very nice welcome in us. He was intoduce us with school and neighborhood. Actually, everybody who I have meet here is very nice and sincere. Our first practice was in mammography in Tartu University Hospital. There was awesome staff and medicine tools in radiology department. Actually only one problem is here – that is language barrier, but I think every Erasmus student know that. Very difficult is contact with patients, but that is that the smallest. This experience already now is very valuable.
Thank You, Daniel and Zinaida for welcoming us! You are great!


Head aega,

Dace

Greetings from Malta

My practical training in MRI is over now, I really liked there because I actually made examinations by myself: Radiographers there were very educated and that`s the one reason why they are working totally independantly and they nearly do not need any radiologist help.
Nex week I will start my practical training in general X-ray.
Still everything is OK, going to the hospital every day and started to do my independent assignments that I have to do for the Institute Of Health Care.
For the last few days the weather haven´t been very good, it is quite cloudy, rainy and windy but otherwise it is warm.

Silja

The second week in Jürmala

Last week passed for so so fast that we bearly understood that. We got to know a really nice girl from our dormitory whos name is Valentina and she was so nice showing us Riga and also the best shops and food places there. The shops variety is like everywhere in the word, there are cheaper shops and also more excpensive, like choses for everyone.
We just can´t believe how nice is our instructor is, just so helpful and lovely to us. She is showing us so many things in laboratory, we even got excursion through the hospital. And also she is so nice by bringing us chocolate and bicuits...unbelivable :) Last week came here students from Spain who are going to be in praxis with us, hope that they are going to be our new friends.
Train is a really common way as a public transport here in Riga. We are using train at least twice a day and last week buying a ticket we saw that train arrived and we were running so fast to catch this train and we made it....yess...but unfortunately it was the rong one... :) So all those little missunderstandings are actually helping us to get manage here better and better and making our life here more colourful and happier.

Visu labu :)

Olesja and Mirian BAII

Now I am doing my practical training in MRI Unit, in Mater Dei Hospital and everything is going well. I have made some examinations by myself for example brain and lumbar spain. There is very interesting and I think that there are quite many things and tips, that we should use in our hospitals in Estonia. At the moment I have to do different kind of independent assignments and have to write reports and at the same time doing my placement. My workdays are not long usually only 6 hours at 8 am to 14 pm every day. During the time I have spent here, I know only few words in Maltese but I hope that before I am going back home I can say some easiest sentences.:) Otherwise everything is OK, my flatmates are great and also all the other resident in our hostel thats why we have never get bored there :)

Bulduri-Zasulauks

Our first week in Bulduri is over. It is amazing that we have found so many friends here, who are so nice and helpful. We live quite near to the beach. There are so many kafejnica, which we are like. Our co-ordinator here, Aiga, is such a great personality, who has already help us so much. She also showed us this school complex introducing us different classrooms which were really nice and modern. On the second day we went by train to the hospital in Zasulauks (Riga), its 13 km from our dormity. For Mirian it was the first time going by train and she had chance to wish when we were driving across the bridge. :) Our praxis is in the biggest hospitals in Latvia called Paula Stradina, which is very big complex. The first praxis we have in clinical laboratory. Laboratory is quite new and laborants are so so so so nice to us. :) Also they are so good teachers….explaining us that we could understand everything what they are doing.
We have also enough spear time to meet local students here and have so much fun. We really like here and just waiting the time when it will be enough warm weather going to the beach.
Mirian and Olesja.

Practise in Bulgaria

It's my fourth week in Bulgaria. I could not write last week, cause in hostel weren't Internet. By the way local students had spring holiday last week. In hospital weren't students. I went to the hospital alone. I felt myself like the worst student.
I like my teacher. When he see that I can do something myself, he sit down and say that he don't do nothing anymore. He learned Russian till eight class, but have forgotten it. He shows, points out what I need to do, something says in Bulgarian, something in English, in Russian or Latin. He asked me about politics and football. In Bulgaria football is very popular. He knows the names of Russian football players. In hospital there are TV and some Russian channels. We watch TV together when we have spare time. I think I'm lucky that I have such teacher. Last week I went to the museums. I visited City Gallery of fine Arts and Ethnographic museum. I liked the Ethnographic museum. There were the old clothes, money, jewels, furnished rooms and many other things.
Anzelika, RT2

Greetings from Madrid!

It is our first entry here, so don´t know where to start. First things first...

Our flight went well, we got in madrid, and our coordinator was in the airport waiting for us. He helped us to find a cheap hostel(12 euros a night), and after that we checked some advertisements of rooms to stay, and we were lucky to find one apartment which is in good location and had 2 rooms available. Everything went well, and the next day we moved in:)

To speak about our practice, well we have nothing to say, because everything didn´t go so well as it seemed. They told us that nobody speaks english here, and our spanish is not enough to start practicing. So we have to go to lessons with third year students, which is total waiste of time, because proffesors speak quickly and we are just picking up some of the words from sentences, which has nothing to do with improving our language skills. They told us we could start practice from the 19-th of April, and we do hope it will be so, because the more we are away from the practice, the harder it will be for us. we need to come home same time as we planned, cause we need to do one practice in Estonia also.

So if you are planning to go abroad, think twice, and study all the opportunities, because problematic things will come out when itś too late.
We had criterion that we need to take basic course of spainh as we did, but now feeling that we should speak and understand perfectly spanish to get a good experience.

To end this letter, we have to say that city, people, living and weather is perfect, but the most important thing why we are here is not on the level it should be. But we hope the problem will be solved, because we would really like to get knowledge of spainsh possibilities for physical therapy.

Hold the fingers grossed for us :)
Hasta Luego
Anneliis, Kaisa
FT2

Practice in Riga

Our practice begun with introduction to Elita Rutka - assistant to chief of The Institute of Radiology. Acquaintance was very plesant. It turned out that we have lots of common known specialists. Our technicians - radiologists often meet Latvian coleagues in different conferences.
The first practice we had in ST Oncology hospital. The practice was very instructive since we took part in many ineresting examinations. We were also shown ray therapy department. The next practice was devoted to angiography in P.Stradins hospital. This was very interesting part since we were able to see specialists in real everyday work.
On the whole here in Riga we have seen a lot of theory learned at universty in real practice.

I was in CT Unit at Mater Dei Hospital for 3 weeks. The radiographers who are working there are very friendly and helpful. They didn´t let me to do examinations but they allowed me to put canulas to the patsients and my job was positioning and preparation of patients. I have seen lot´s of interesting examinations and there are some differencies from our country. Also by now I have visited with my friends most popular places in Malta for example Mdina, Marsaxlokk, Gozo, Comino- Blue Lagoon… Sometimes I am little bit sad, because I am only estonian student here, but in Garden View(my hostel) there are many of other ERASMUS students and we have lot´s of fun. In this week I will start my placement in MRI and I hope that there is as good as was in CT.

Grüβe aus Marburg

I´m doing my three months physiotherapy practice in small university city called Marburg in Germany. Yesterday was my fourth practice day in hospital. Today I have free day because of the Easter. So yeah, I have been here now one week.
It has been a bit difficult to get place to live. There is not so many free rooms available and it´s very expensive to rent a room in this city. One room in an apartment or a house costs as much as my hole two-room apartment in Estonia (250 until 300 € pro Month and even more). Right now I have room for two weeks and during this time I have to find something ceratin for next months. Fortunately my coworkers in hospital are friendly and helpful so that I have already fue offers to stay couple of days at one colleague´s house and fue weeks at another´s house. It will be fun.
I´m doing my practice in Universitätsklinikum Giessen und Marburg that is more than huge. I started from otrhopedic department where are mostly patients with knee or hip joint endoprosthesis or lower limb amputation. It has been very interesting and I learn every day new skills and many medical words in german. Sofar I haven´t done so much myself, I have more absorved other physiotherapists and hopefully from next week I will start to work alone. Looking forward. And when I will be lucky then I will get chance to look some surgeries.
And the school of physiotherapy is right in hospital, it means most of the classes are there only fue theoretical lessons are in town. So students are all the time in hospital and their practical lessons are with real patients. Isn´t it cool?!

Ok, it´s all for now. It´s too nice weather to stay home so I will go to enjoy sun

Liebe Grüβe

Mariliis FT-II

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Hello!
I have already wrote that hospitals in Estonia and here are very different. All the machines here are not like in Estonia. Here is an older ones. For example to lift MRI-table you need to push the pedal. My teacher said that it is fitness. They don't use a paper. I mean that table isn't covered with paper. Paper is only under the head. I don't get used to this yet. Students from Estonia wrote to me, that every day is the same. They don't have something new. But for me everything is new. That is why I like my practice here.
Anzelika RT2

Italy, Foggia

Ciao!

We are doing our clinical practise in south Italy, in small city called Foggia. We arrived here on 22 February, it was quite hard to get in Foggia. We took flight from Riga to Milano, spent the night in Bergamo Airport, then we had another flight from Bergamo to Bari. In Bari we took the train to Foggia. First expression wasn’t nice and we didn’t have any place to stay.

Fortunately things changed the next day, when we met our Erasmus coordinator.

Since that day we are living in a big apartament, we also had a roommate from Slovakia, but she moved out.

The weather here is quite warm now, but it can change quickly. Soon we have big „festa“ i.e Pasqua, during that we are going to beach in the cities nearby.

Clinical practise’s start wasn’t very easy, because english isn’t a popular language here. But have italian language course with ohter Erasmus students. For the moment we can understand italian language a bit.

We had problem with duration of the clinical practise, beacause there were differences in the dates in the learning agreement. Our estonian Erasmus coordinater thought that that’s not a problem, but it was. Fortunately we were able to solve that disagreement.

We can’t use our school’s practise book beacause it is a disaster, there are many mistakes (grammar, practise duarion). So please, Danel, correct the mistakes!

Arrivederci!

Maria Küüsmaa

Jevgenia Lašmanova

FT III

I am big fan of Erasmus program

Its very interesting to read posts from our college outgoing students. I am sure that here will be now more and more offen posts from Tartu Health Care College students because there are about 20 students doing their practice ourside of Estonia with Erasmus program. As I am big fan of the program I am very happy to read our students thoughts, emotoins etc about their experiances.
Also I invite all you who read the blogs ask from writers everything you want to know about their practice, countries, citys, experiances where the posts writers are.
So my suggestion to you dear blog reader: keep on reading and asking from our college students and I am sure you will be too interested to become an Erasmus student :) in the future. . .


Best regards from Tartu Health Care College Erasmus program
coordinator and FAN of the program,
Danel Jantra