I arrived in Malta in mid-September when the weather was really hot, reaching up to 36 degrees Celsius – it took a while to get used to the heat and humidity. I started the exchange together with my classmate Mira and we did all of our placements together too.
We did our placements in Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre, operating theaters in Mater Dei and Paola Health Centre. All of the placements were really interesting and I’ve definately learned a lot, although many things are done differently compared to Finland. For example people usually work 12 hour shifts and they have long breaks during the day – in one of our placements the nurses used to take naps during their break.
Life in Malta is different. People are laid-back and friendly – and loud. Sometimes you feel like you’re listening to a huge argument in Maltese but it turns out they’re just casually talking about the weather. If you ever get lost, people are more than willing to help, and it’s normal to strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere. The official languages are Maltese and English, so wherever you go in Malta most people speak very good English.
There’s a lot to do and see in Malta and we’ve been around a lot, these are some of the places we’ve seen:
PS. If you’re going to stay in Malta during the winter, make sure to take some warm clothes with you! It can still be warm and sunny outside but inside the house it’s really, really cold.
Hi Heidi,
I enjoyed reading your blog alright ta!! It’s true, the Maltese tend to put the word ta at the end of each sentence 🙂
If any of your friends are coming to Malta on an internship they will find our accommodation really conveniently located as we are just 7 minutes away on foot from Mater Dei hospital.
No waking up extra early or waiting around for buses!
Guests can choose between homestay accommodation or an independent one bedroom apartment called Vista. In our Looza homestay they have a choice of board basis : self-catering for those who want to be independent or bed and breakfast and half board basis for those who want more contact with us.
Our homestay accommodation is on a separate floor so guests can feel independent but if they want to ask about anything or need help we are always at hand.
Guests are given a house key and are free to come and go.
We’ve had lots of international Medical electives staying with us over the years and we look forward to have some students from Finland too!
stefie
3.7.2016 12:12