What Hospital Shadowing and Solo Travel in Italy Taught Me About Confidence

As a pre-med student preparing for medical school, I expected my study abroad experience in Rome, Italy to strengthen my medical knowledge. I imagined learning inside a hospital, shadowing surgeons, and gaining a better understanding of healthcare overall. What I didn’t expect was how much I would grow outside the hospital as well. I gained confidence in my abilities as a person that I believe will set me up for success in medical school through meeting new people, adapting to different customs, and confronting unexpected travel challenges.

If you are considering studying abroad, my biggest piece of advice would be: don’t be afraid to try. Some of the most memorable and significant lessons I learned came when I did things I wasn’t 100% sure I could do, including signing up to study abroad.

​Hospital Shadowing Changed My Perspective

One of the most rewarding parts of my experience was shadowing surgeons and physicians at San Camillo Hospital Forlanini in Rome through the Atlantis pre-healthcare shadowing program. As an undergraduate student hoping to become a physician one day, seeing healthcare from an international perspective was the coolest and most valuable thing I could have done for myself and my career.

​Medical treatment looks different from country to country, but doctors’ compassion, teamwork, and patient care stay the same all around the world. At times I had a difficult time trying to navigate the language barrier, but watching healthcare professionals communicate with patients, collaborate, and solve problems in real time showed me why I want to pursue this career path.

This is me all scrubbed up and ready to shadow the surgeons at the hospital in Rome who reminded me why I'm pursuing a career in medicine.

My favorite memory is of one patient who couldn’t eat because they were sick and the surgeons needed to operate on them in order for the patient to get better. I remember seeing the patient’s face of gratitude after the surgery because even though they had just woken up, they felt lighter and not as weak anymore. The surgeons had not only cured the patient, but they gave the patient hope for a better, happier life. This was the moment that confirmed why I want to go into medicine to help people.

​The experience reinforced something I already believed, that medicine is much more than just a science. It requires empathy, adaptability, and the skill to connect with all sorts of people. My time shadowing showed firsthand that effective medical practice depends as much on understanding and responding to individual patient needs as it does on clinical knowledge.

​As an aspiring medical student, it can be easy to focus only on grades and hours. Studying abroad reminded me that becoming a great physician also means being more open-minded and culturally aware.

Sharing this experience with new friends made every challenge and every success even more memorable.

​Growth Happens When Plans Fall Apart

Ironically, the hospital wasn’t the only place I was learning very important lessons.

​Before I even arrived in Italy, my flights were delayed, I missed my international connection because of it, and my luggage was lost for five days. Instead of beginning my trip exactly as I planned it, I found myself having to buy essentials, adjusting to unanticipated changes, and learning to stay calm under stressful circumstances.

​At the time, those moments felt like they were going to ruin my whole experience abroad. However, looking back, they became some of the most memorable experiences of the program.

​Travel rarely goes perfectly. Flights change. You get on the wrong train (like I did coming back from one weekend getaway trip). Plans fall apart. But learning how to stay flexible instead of becoming frustrated is one of the best skills I think I learned abroad. Each test reminded me that I was more capable than I had given myself credit for. And no matter how bad it felt in the moment, I wouldn’t change anything.

​Independent Travel Built Real Confidence

Before this trip, I had never thought of traveling to or navigating another country by myself. But during my time abroad, I came to learn that whether I was figuring out public transportation, booking tours in the city, ordering food in Italian, or losing my way through unfamiliar streets, every day provided a new opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and trust myself. Each small success built confidence.

​Eventually, things that once were intimidating became comfortable to navigate. I realized I didn’t need every detail to go according to plan to enjoy the experience. I learned that sometimes the best memories come from unexpected conversations, getting slightly lost, or going on little sidequests to discover places you never intended to visit.

Confidence doesn’t appear overnight. It grows every time you prove to yourself that you can handle something unfamiliar. The confidence that I gained on this voyage is incomparable to what I felt when I first boarded the plane.

Navigating the beautiful streets of Italy independently taught me resilience and adaptability.

Lessons I’ll Carry into Medicine

This experience changed me in more ways than just my travel skills. It changed how I approach challenges.

​While I continue to work to get into medical school, I know that there will be some difficult classes, demanding clinical experiences, and moments when I feel helpless. Studying abroad has reminded me that improvement usually begins with a little bit of discomfort.

​I also learned that every engagement matters. Interacting with people from different cultures helped me become a better listener and a more thoughtful communicator. Those qualities are just as important in medicine as scientific knowledge. Most importantly, I learned to believe in myself. There are some things that you can’t learn in a classroom. You have to experience things out in the real world. These lessons come from taking chances, solving problems, and realizing you’re stronger than you think you are.

​Every new street and landmark became an opportunity to learn and grow outside my comfort zone.

My Advice for Future Students

If you’re thinking about studying abroad, do it. If you’re feeling nervous, that’s normal. The unknown is intimidating. But no one ever grows without a little bit of discomfort.

​Say yes to experiences that scare you a little. Explore beyond your comfort zone. Be open to change when things don’t go as planned. Some of your favorite memories will come from moments you never expected. Mine did.

​For pre-med students especially, don’t assume studying abroad will hinder your academic progress or medical school path. From my experience, it did quite the opposite in fact. It reminded me of why I chose medicine in the first place. It helped me develop my confidence, resilience, and cultural awareness that will make me a better future physician.

Italy gave me unforgettable memories, lifelong confidence, great photos, and a bright perspective on my future.

​Looking back, I went to Italy hoping to learn about medicine. And I left having learned just as much about myself. That may be the most valuable lesson I could’ve experienced.

Ciao and buona fortuna on all your endeavors!