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

Arrival and registration

A pick-up service was available and this students from our curse in Sweden were picking us up at T-centralen until our accommodation, they were really helpful by showing us how to get the SL card and providing us useful information about daily life. The introduction day was a way for me to get to know more students at the same situation as me, know swedish culture manners and the KI entities that couldbe useful to me during my exchange period.  I went to student health centre to do the a healh test and they were very friendly and available to clear our question or recur to them at any time of our staying. 

Acommendation

I applied for the UAC before getting to Sweden, but only get the confirmation 2 weeks before my arrivals. i didn't provide any private housing, because of the rent prices and difficulty to arrange this kind of housing.

Leisure time and social activities

I attempted to a few socoal activity mainly through the Global Friends group. I think they were pretty regular, which is good and varied, so we never get bored. Yes i made some swedish friend.

Pre-departure

I choose to go on exchange to know a different country and culture from my own and at the same time learn and known different ways to work. The KI choice was because of the excelent conditions for the students that were presented to me before I had applied. All the information about the exchange program is clear and easy to understand reveling the information about the different aspects about KI, accomodation, swedish culture and important events. I didn't need to be vaccinated or bring any certificates.

Courses during the exchange period

1BA029 : Elective project (Phys)
The elective project abord a different area of the clinical practice which I did learn more about the specific ways on how to do it and the new technologies in my elective project topic. the supervisor was a great help teaching us every step of the investigation process.
1EE059 : Clinical Rotation - Cardiac Ultrasound (Phys)
One more time, i achieve the goal of finished the clinical rotation in Echo doing a full normal examination. In this clinical practice i didn't had the chance to learn more about different techniques in echocardiography examinations, like 3D, speckle tracking or transesophageal echo. And the volume of patients and different pathologies could be a little higher.
1EE058 : Clinical Rotation - Electro Cardiography (Phys)
In this internship i created the ability to do a total exercise stress test and rest ECG by my own, by practicing iin every opportunity and adapt it to the normal or diferent pathology of the patient. The supervisor was a good teacher, that clarified me in my doubts.
1EE060 : Clinical Rotation - Invasive cardiac diagnostics (Phys)
I could learn ways to treat arrhythmias with new technologies and different approaches. In this clinical practice I was with a different supervisor almost everyday, which i think that could not follow my progress and knowledge, I suggest that the supervisor responsable keep up with the student in every day practice.

Summary

In general, the all exchange program is well organized and thought for the student that participate in it. The conditions in every clinical practice and at the KI building were amazing, including the activities, the persons and the installations. I wish that the accommodation could be confirmed previously.

Language and Culture

Yes, I did participate in one swedish language course. I think it is a helpful tool for every student from abroad, knowing the basics of the language and everyday commom  phrases or questions. I think that the course could be more distributed along with the exchange period.

Studies in general

I was in a clinical practice enviroment. In every one my supervisors were available to clear my questions and let me practice the examinations. The KI program and in my home university have some differences about the number of the days in which we go to the clinical practice and in the number of evaluation tasks. The positive points in my internship was the disponibility of everyone in the department, the different techniques that I experienced. The only thing that i can apoint as good to be improved is the distance between the accomodation and the internship place, in some cases I taked 1h30 to get in the clinical practice.