Hi! I am Nicholas Sawicki, an incoming Junior with a major in Biological Science, a minor in Chemistry, and a certificate in Health Humanities and Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. I am following a pre-med path and hope to attend medical school to become a physician. Beyond academics, I am involved in Pitt club sports as the Pitt Club Sport Council Business Manager, as well as president of the Pitt Rowing Club. 

When I toured Pitt I knew that they had an extensive list of study abroad opportunities. Through my brother I knew how enriching and rewarding living and working in another country can be, so study abroad has always been on my radar. In the start of my sophomore year I was looking through a list of study abroad opportunities and London caught my eye. In this program, not only would I be able to truly live in another country but work alongside professionals in a field I dream of entering into. After delving into the program further, I realised that this program not only fit my schedule perfectly by occurring over the summer but is an opportunity to provide an enriching experience while broadening my knowledge of healthcare. And so I decided to apply to the program and spend my summer in another country.

I was placed with Emergency and Major Trauma at King’s College Hospital. While I have some experience in emergency medicine through my work as an EMT, I am excited to see the parallels and differences between a hospital in the US vs UK. I look forward to working with a group of people who will provide novel perspectives and to be in a dynamic clinical setting. I look forward to observing and working alongside professionals in a department I am interested in. While I am nervous to work in a new setting and culture, I am excited to be fully immersed in the culture and work of a UK hospital. 

Something that can be a challenge is integrating into the team, coming from different workplace cultures, and my inexperience in working in a hospital setting. A hospital is a dynamic and fluid environment that can change from calm to chaos in a matter of seconds. As such, any differences and stresses from those differences can be amplified under this high-pressure environment. However, if I approach this job with tenacity and zeal, I firmly believe I can integrate into this new environment and do meaningful work during my internship. 

I am excited to begin my internship in London, to learn from working in a hospital there, and to experience a novel culture. I will post more updates in the weeks to come and I can’t wait to share my experience with everyone!