Jennifer Iospa, Williams College (USA) Student
1. How would you summarize it in general and did it meet your expectations?
JI: “I experienced many learning opportunities, including personal lessons from Tbilisi Medical Academy to Georgia, exceeding my expectations. This encompassed cultural immersion, administrative work, and understanding how medical school systems work outside of the United States.”
2. What was culturally different and striking for you while being at TMA?
JI: “ Cultural Aspect, the experience that students are having in TMA differs from ours greatly, it’s more interpersonal relations, and developing connections with one another both students faculty, and staff.
At Williams College, we have more career-focused aspirations. ”
3. What projects did you get involved in at Tbilisi Medical Academy and if you could change this experience in what sense would you change it?
JI: “ I focused on environmental health and its relationship to
Public Health. I helped launch a campaign encouraging students and faculty to consider how they can make small changes in their daily lives to have a big impact.”
4. Where does Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) stand with the green campaign compared to Williams College?
JI: “ “A lot of what is happening here is standard. The only difference at Williams Colege is the increased focus due to our dedicated center for environmental initiatives. We participate in community projects, and not all of us are medical students – some specialize in environmental studies and science.”
5. What can be integrated from Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) into Williams College and vice versa?
JI: The students at TMA feel very comfortable with the administrators. This is very different at Williams. No matter how hard we try to build a bridge of relationship between faculty, students, and administration, the gap exists, because of the top-down approach.
6. What are you taking from this internship?
JI: “It’s about communication—communicating across cultures. Despite all of our differences, we need to find the reasons to sit down and hear one another out. That’s something we should do more in America. Everyone here is willing to engage in conversations like that. It’s a lesson for me and for the other American students who came along on this trip—to sometimes just listen.”
