Internship Series: Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja

Gregg Miller
CAS’15 | Neuroscience
Intern

During the summer of 2014, Gregg Miller worked as an intern and shadowed clinicians at a hospital in Madrid, Spain. Working alongside other doctors, Gregg was able to improve his Spanish-speaking skills and go out of his comfort zone.

CCD: What were your responsibilities?

Gregg: As an intern at Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja, I observed clinician-patient interactions and shadowed doctors while working in a solely Spanish-speaking environment. I switched between pediatrics, pharmacy, urgent care, and obstetrics over a two-month period and was even given the opportunity to utilize instruments to evaluate patients’ pathologies and observe numerous births and c-sections.

CCD: How did you find the position? What helped you get it? What resources (at BU or elsewhere) did you use?

Gregg: I applied to the Madrid Internship Program with BU Study Abroad. I was placed in my internship with the help of BU through interviews in Spanish and evaluations of my field interests.

CCD: What is one thing you’ve learned that will benefit any future internships or other hands-on experiences?

Gregg: This experience was very beneficial because it helped me improve my Spanish-speaking skills and brought my comprehension to an advanced level. By the end of the program, I was able to understand natives without much difficulty. In addition to improving my language abilities, this experience showed me what it is really like to work as a doctor in a hospital. I went outside my comfort zone by shadowing doctors and observing surgeries.

CCD: How has this experience changed your future plans?

Gregg: After completing numerous hours of observation in a hospital setting, I realized that becoming a doctor is what I truly want to do. This internship revealed what a real hospital environment is like and what it is like to work with doctors.

CCD: What’s next for you?

Gregg: I have decided that I want to attend medical school in the future, but I also want to gain more work experience before continuing with school. I am planning to work in either a neuroscience laboratory or hospital setting for at least one year after I graduate before I enter medical school.