We recently sat down for a Q&A with one of internship and Spanish students, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you! Getting feedback from our students is super important to us because it helps us understand what’s working and what could use a little tweaking. Our most recent Q&A was with Mayah from the US; she is currently participating in an internship and is combining it with one of our Spanish courses. Lets see what she thinks so far about her program!

Hi Mayah! Thanks for sitting down with us. First of all, I wanted to see if you could sum up the overall experience for us. If you could only use a few sentences, how would you describe your overall internship experience so far?

My internship has been better than I could have imagined! I have an amazing supervisor who is genuinely invested in my learning. He is a nurse and very busy yet always takes time to teach me things and translate when necessary during patient interactions.

We are so glad to hear that and it´s great you have such a strong relationship with your internship supervisor, they really make the experience extra special. What have you liked the most so far about the company?

I like that my supervisor always explains everything to me and most of all that he helps with translation too, for example if there is a patient that only speaks Spanish he will make sure I understand the conversation by translating the conversation and interaction with them.

Did you face any challenges? How did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge I face is the language barrier. I spoke barely any Spanish going into the program and was nervous because all the patient interactions are in Spanish. While it has been overwhelming especially at first, in just a month I have picked up so much Spanish and am understanding and communicating much better. A big help has been continuing 2 language classes a week in addition to my internship.

The language barrier is always a big barrier for our students but we are lucky to work with a lot of billingual and multicultural companies that really help interns feel comfortable and relaxed during their internship. Another big plus is our Spanish courses which I am sure you agree with.

I definitely agree. The Spanish course has really helped me improve in all aspects.

Would you say the internship has contributed to your professional development?

Yes! I am gaining great clinical experience for medical school, some examples include drawing blood, taking blood pressure and heart rate, running EKGs… all skills that will serve me down the road and for my career.

Have you acquired new skills?

Yes, both language and work skills. In terms of work skills I have learnt a lot of medical skills from being at the company and watching my colleagues during their day to day activities and responsabilities. On the other hand, I have also learnt Spanish skills and I can see my communication skills improving whilst being at the company.

Do you like the work environment at your internship? How are your colleagues?

⁠I really love the work environment. At the sports clinic I connect with my supervisor, Isidro who is a nurse, and also the doctors, physical therapists, nutritionists, and personal trainers. I have been able to see what each career path looks like and everyone has been so welcoming.

I am happy that you´re so comfortable there! Last but not least, I wanted to talk a bit about the language barrier. Has it been much of a challenge for you? Do you think your Spanish course has helped you with this?

Yes, as previously mentioned the language barrier was and still is a challenge for me. Ultimately I chose Spain though because it is very
important for me to learn Spanish so I can connect with Spanish speaking patients in the future. I anticipated the language barrier and I’m surprised at how quickly I am picking up Spanish living here!

How about your teacher and classmates? Do you like the course?

Yes, I do really like the course. Another good thing is that my teacher is very nice and very encouraging so that is also a big help.

Thanks again for taking the time to speak to us Mayah! We hope you enjoy the rest of your internship and keep up with the Spanish! 

If you´re interested in doing an internship with us but also want to improve your Spanish skills, our combined internship and Spanish course is the best fit for you. Being able to combine these classes with your internship allows you to integrate language learning with hands-on experience, helping you build confidence and improve your Spanish communication skills. If you´d like to apply for this program, contact us below:

📧 euroace@euroace.net
📞 +34 699 795 751