Exchange report - incoming students
Home university: Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa - Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa
Study programme: Biomedical Laboratory Science
Exchange programme: Erasmus
Semester: Spring semester 2012/2013
Name: Sílvia Vitorino Batalha
Email address: silvia_batalha3@hotmail.com

Arrival and registration

The arrival to Stockholm went really well: the student assigned to pick up was very nice and helped us with small things like: pick up the room keys, take to our room, showed us how to get the SL card, taught us how the transports work and how to get to KI... These little things help us a lot, making the arrival smother and less stressing.
The introduction day is also very important to meet new people. Th contact with people from many different places is always a funny experience. The information given in that days are also essential for the adaptation to Sweden and KI.
The health center was really professional and quick. The exam is quick and painless.

Acommendation

I applied to KI housing right after I receive a positive answer from KI. Luckly, I got a room in the place I applied for, in Pax housing.
I liked the room, it has enough space, a good bathroom, a good laundry and the building has a great location: next to the subway station, next to a direct bus to KI Solna, and next to a supermarket. 
Our common kitchen was nice too: we didnt had to buy utensils because there were more than enough and in a good state. It has also a good stove, oven, refrigerator, freezer, enough for the time you are living here.
For a Portuguese student, the room is a little bit expensive... but has good conditions!

Leisure time and social activities

KI receives very well its students: besides all the help that gives in the beggining, it also arranges a lot of activities for the international students meet another students. 
The introduction days is the best example, because is in the beggining that you need the most to meet people. The fika (at thursdays), global friends and the student union are essential for your integration in Sweden. The activities that they organize are great to socialize and relax from your study time.

Pre-departure

  An exchange program is a great oportunity to meet a different country, culture and people. It also provides a different academic experience, with differente teaching method and new insigths of the same subject.
I always had curiosity about the northen europe countries. The decision for Sweden was influenced by KI reputation and for the good feedback I got from colleagues that studied here.
Most of the information I got for KI was given by the international office from my home university, from my colleagues that stuied here and from the internet web site. 
The KI offered me all the information I needed for my course, and they were allways available to responde to any question I had.

Courses during the exchange period

1BA029 : Elective project (Phys)
The cientiffic work is very important because a professional must know how the cientific studies are and should be done. During the project I had the oportunity to lean about the project methology and execution. The supervisors were always suppportive and they were always available for any doubt.
1EE059 : Clinical Rotation - Cardiac Ultrasound (Phys)
Doing this course in a hospital with a lot of different patients and pathologies was a very enriching experience. It is very important during the clinical practice to see a lot of different situations. Working with experienced professionals is also very important, they can transmit. I had many oportunities to practice and to perform the exam autonomously. It was a relly good experience: I could also learn about the swedish health system.
1EE058 : Clinical Rotation - Electro Cardiography (Phys)
In this clinical rotation I had the opportunity to work with several exams in the electrocardiograhy: ECG, Holter, Blood pressure monitoring and stress testing... I could practice a lot and see a different reality: the reality of a private clinic. I was a very good experience and I learned a lot in this clinical practice.
1EE060 : Clinical Rotation - Invasive cardiac diagnostics (Phys)
It was a very interesting clinical practice: there were different cases, technologies and tecniques. Altougth the student can not do so much clinical work, it was important to understand how are treated some cardiac patholgies. The supervisores were very supportive and available.

Summary

My experience in Sweden is nothing but positive, and the international office, the teachers and students were essential to adapt to a very different country, with a different culture. 
Personaly, it is a very rewarding experience: contact with a lot of different people, not only from Sweden allows to grow as a human being. Live in a new country and live their culture is also very interesting because makes look at people and situations with another look... 
Academically, it was a reaaly good experience. Learn with experienced professional and in a different environment is very important for your learning.
Sometimes, you are very homesick, but if someone ask me if I would go again in a exchanging program to KI I would answer imediatelly: YES; OF COURSE

Language and Culture

I went to the swedish course for begginers and the level A1: I liked a lot of the course, Altough it is not enough for the cinical practice, It allows to start to understand the basics, and sometimes even to understand small phrases from the patients.
The teacher is really good: besides teaching the language also teaches about Sweden and the Swedes, for you to understand better the culture that you are living in.

Studies in general

In Sweden, I had 3 different clinical practices and a elective project. I was always very weel received in my clinical practices, and everyone was very nice to me, offering allways to help me if I needed. The relation supervisor - student is different from the ones I had in Portugal.
During my internships I was given the oportunity to be autonomous and to perform the exams,  and to ask any questions I had. This allowed me to learn a lot, to make small mistakes and learn with them.
One of the biggest differences was that here there were no deadlines for deliver the assignments... something that never happened to me in Portugal.