Hi everyone! My name is Lauren Rossiter, and I am majoring in biological sciences with a certificate in Global Health. Being Pre-Med, I didn’t think a study abroad was an available option for me as the rigorous courseload and extracurriculars would take up most if not all of my time. I thought that study abroad programs were very “one note” in that they take place for a fall/ spring semester, and that you earn credits which may or may not count towards your degree. It wasn’t until I looked more into program offerings that I realized that “studying abroad” can take many forms including a summer internship program. When I found the FHC Lisbon summer internship program I was blown away as I began to realize that “studying abroad” didn’t have to be an unrealized dream of mine but could actually fit into my schedule and help me in achieving my career goals. After submitting a plethora of materials, multiple interviews, and many months, I finally received my internship placement. The only problem is it was something I had never even come close to doing before. 

While I have conducted research during my time at Pitt, I have never done anything remotely similar to the description of my internship here in Portugal. This adds an extra layer of complexity because in addition to figuring out cultural customs, language barriers, and general “first day jitters” I have no “comfort level” to rely on. This additional challenge will be the thing I have to navigate the most during my time in Lisbon as, like with most research, my mistakes, errors, or misunderstandings can have real, and detrimental impacts to not only the experiments but the overall conclusions and findings. Going to Lisbon is not only a chance for me to study abroad and explore a new country for two months, it is a gigantic test of my resilience under pressure, and my ability to give myself grace. However, this immense pressure is not unlike the pressure experienced in all facets of life, like taking an important exam, starting a new job, moving to a new state. While my time at Pitt has taught me much about my area of study, my time here in Lisbon will allow me to learn more about myself and how I can overcome challenges big and small. Through this internship, I will not only gain skills that will benefit my future in medicine and a deeper understanding of research techniques, but I will also gain the life “learning” that does not come through a classroom and can only be found when we push ourselves out of our comfort zones.

Thank you for reading and please enjoy the pictures attached from my very first day in Lisbon!