CBYX participant Sarah R., from McLean, VA, describes her internship experiences in Berlin with the CBYX Vocational program.

My first internship was at a medical center in Berlin for three months. It is called the ÄHF Ärtzehaus Friedrichshain Management GmbH. This internship was all in German.

In this role, I wan an apprentice to one of the doctors at the facility, who also works as a surgeon. Therefore, every week I was both in the doctor’s practice and the operation room. In the doctor’s practice environment, I was side-by-side with the nurses throughout the day and was observing the doctor work with numerous patients. In the surgery environment, I was next to the surgeon in the operation room and watched various surgeries, including removing tumors in the head, repairing meniscuses, tending to torn ankle ligaments, and removing cysts around the body, to name a few. In this role, I additionally assisted the anesthesiologist by helping put the patient under the anesthesia, as well as pumping air into the patient as they are asleep in the anesthesia myself. Some personal achievement highlights were successfully undergoing the procedure of putting patient under anesthesia myself, and being in charge of the sanitation of the operation tools following the surgery. I additionally found great joy in building relationships with the patient throughout the experience. 

My second and current internship is at a non-profit environmental organization called the Grüna Liga, and I will be spending time working for a Bundestag Representative. The Grüna Liga organization was founded in the GDR times as an environmental opposition movement against the GDR regime. I have so far worked on sustainability projects throughout the community and helping with their newspaper. This internship is also all in German, which has been incredible.