June 10, 2013: Eu tem aula tudo dia. I have class all day.

Today began with class and ended with class...and had class in between. I started out with a class at Santa Casa with Isadora. She had a presentation first about cardiology. Though I did not understand very well because she speaks so quickly, I think she did a great job and it seemed like the teacher did as well. This class was very small, less than ten students, and after Isa's presentation listened to a short lecture by the teacher about diagnosing depression. I did understand more of this part, but the teacher spoke much more slowly and had very helpful slides. Later in the day I really appreciated this teacher because she seemed very interested in her subject which was not the case with all the teachers I saw. Then, after lecture, the class went to a different part of the hospital called Ambulatorio. This is similar to Urgent Care in the United States but I think it is also used as a doctors office. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the students each attend patients here and the professor (the same one who just gave the lecture and is a doctor at the hospital) then reviews their assessment and gives any necessary prescriptions or a bigger examination. I really enjoyed this patient contact and, though it was difficult to understand what the patient Isadora and I were attending was saying, it was very interesting to see the medical history papers the man brought with him. He brought recent chest x-rays and lab results, receipts from all of his doctor visits, and many past instructions. Our patient was back for a follow up visit and doing very well. In the end, the doctor asked him to return one more time in six months just to be sure he remains healthy.

I think I look pretty Brazilian here...just saying. Also, The teacher is the blond kneeling in the front (SO young!). Isadora is standing to my right.

After a wonderful lunch at Isadora's grandmother's home, we returned to class, but this time at PUC. We spent the rest of the day there learning about Pathology, writing a prognosis, and Medical Ethics. What specifically we learned I am not sure as I really do not understand much, but it was interesting to see the interactions between the students and the professors and meet many of Isadora's friends. Everyone wants to know about me and what I am doing there. It has been a little tricky to describe since I am just observing PUC this week, but I do my best and usually in the end, the Brazilians try to speak English and I try to speak Portuguese. A couple of different people told me how much they loved the United States. One guy even showed me his membership card for the NRA of the US (yes, the NRA...I was surprised haha). He loves the United States even though he has never been there and in a few years he hopes to do his residency there. If you ask him where he want to go, he simply replies that it does not matter because the whole country is great. Oppositely, another guy told me how worried he was to go to the United States. He explained that whenever he thought of what it would  be liked, he did not like it because he has always thought that Americans are cold and hate all foreigners. He said that he did not think anyone would help him or want him there. Hopefully, he believes me when I told him that most of us do have hearts and are interested in expanding our horizons as well as those of others. I cannot imagine if I came to Brazil only to be received with coldness, discrimination, and impatience. I have been received with open arms and so much patience. Maybe sometime I can return the favor. Finally, around 10:20 PM I arrived at home and got to eat dinner. I was so thankful because my host mother made my favorite dinner just for me. Even warmed up it was DELICIOUS :)