"I grew up. 

First because medicine is wonderful. Because exchanging with patients, creating trust relationship with them, reassuring them, helped me to be more open-minded, and more understanding about how life is precious. Because I had the opportunity to learn, everyday more, about the diseases, the injuries, where they are from, how to diagnostic them and how to treat them, in reality, not just in books. 

But secondly I grew up because it was hard. To deal with pain all day long, with death, to deal with the lack of means, the lack of medication, the lack of hygiene compared to France hospitals. I was hard to feel useless, to feel lost, because of the language barrier of the lack of knowledge, but always to keep going and doing as much I could do. I was hard to see things, to see the pain, how they treat it, how nurses and patients deal with it. It was hard to stay positive, but it was worth it so much. 

Because this experience was the mix of so many elements, so many feelings, it was unique. Unforgettable.

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I also grew up outside the hospital.

Meeting new people from all over the world, having different cultures and ways of life, different experiences of volunteering, helped me to be better, in English first, but also in relationships and community life.

Also, it was incredible to be with people who talked with me about the things I saw in the hospital, when I felt lost or sad, I had this kind of family when I went back to talk with, to laugh with, to party with !

Finally, meeting new people at another part of the globe helped me to think about who I am, and who I want to be. In just can not be more thankful.

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Highlight:

It was a thursday, and I was about to see the first operation of my life, my first C-section. The mother is coming, I talk a little bit with her, about the future baby, the way she already had 2girls, and she wanted to have another one. She finally asks me my name when the anesthetist arrives, then the doctor. It was wonderful, to be there for the first breath of a new born, the first cry, the happiness of the mother when she discovered the baby was a little girl, the cleaning of the baby, the cut of the umbilical cord, but also for the operation itself, the anesthesia, the suturing and the way the doctor answered to all my questions. So much emotion is just an hour.

Two little weeks later, a mother and her baby arrived. I had to remove her stitches. She recognized me! She was the one! After  hugging and asking for news, I finally asked for the name of the little girl. I will never forget how moved I felt when she told me that her baby’s name is Kansai-Laura. “Like you”, she told me proudly. I stayed voiceless."