I’m extremely proud to have concluded my Erasmus+ Traineeship experience at St. Vincent’s Hospital University, in Dublin.
It has been such an inspiring, challenging and enriching journey, which made me realize even more clearly that surgery is my path. I was given the opportunity to develop practical skills for my professional
career, whilst engaging with different cultures and social groups.
In these 2 months in the Hepatopancreaticobiliary Unit I was able to attend several surgeries (i.e. liver resection, Whipple’s, pancreatectomy, splenectomy, cholecystectomy, etc); including liver transplants and organ retrieval, which were truly unforgettable experiences. I was lucky enough to be scrubbed in to practice my suture skills, actively learning everything about surgical techniques, instruments and operating theater protocols.
Another big part of my training was taking part to MDMs (Multidisciplinary Meetings), which entailed the discussion of several difficult cases to assess and improve their care plan; as well as attend the General HPB Clinic, where I performed patient interviews and physical examinations.
I’m beyond grateful to the HPB and Transplant Group for letting me be part of their team, learning from them and training with them. I felt challenged every day to do better and learn more. This experience has given me more than I could have asked for, both professionally and personally.
Bianca Bertirossi, student at University of Padua.
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