The other side

When thinking about the most useful way to spend a free summer, I had a few ideas in mind. Firstly, that I was not able, as a first year medical student lacking in knowledge and skills, to participate in a clinical clerkship. For similar reasons I was not prepared to plunge into a research environment. Secondly, I wanted to improve my German by living in a German speaking country. Thirdly, taking into account the World Health Organization's guidelines on medical education1; the recommendations of the World Federation for Medical Education2; and those of the Association of American Medical Colleges,3 which name knowledge, skills, and attitude the three most desirable qualities of a doctor, I presumed it would be beneficial to work on my attitude. I decided to find a position that would empower me, with full access to a hospital, and give me the opportunity to experience hospital life from a different perspective. So I applied for a month's work as a porter at Heidelberg University Hospital.