Students were invited to participate in this Intensive Program, and found this text in their booklet:
Fill your suitcase with all the necessities for a one-week trip to Bitola.
The temperature in this period is between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius with a chance of
a little rain. Fill your pencil case with some colours, some markers and those who
can bring their laptop can also easily follow the digital section.
Furthermore, you will certainly pack your experience from the various internships
and the contacts you already had with patients and nurses.
Also, bring a portion of patience to give both your peers and the teachers the
space to learn, and also for yourself the necessary mildness to grow in
intercultural competent behaviour this week through, perhaps, some trial and error.
Furthermore, do not forget to bring some interest and gratitude. We are guests in
a country with a rich history of culture and exchange and can look forward to an exciting journey.
The class schedule is quite filled, so also bring your alertness to make good use
of the various moments to get to know each other, explore the world of nursing
beyond your own familiar place, and grow in understanding and professionalism.
We are very happy to meet you at this Intensive Program,
The TraINErS-Team!
The assignment was to write a letter to themselves before leaving for this Intensive Program. Anna did this at the end of the IP, on October 16 in Bitola.
She captured the focus of this program perfectly…..
Dear future participant,
In a few days you will be leaving to Bitola, North-Macedonia for the intensive TraINErS Program. In this week you are gonna have different courses to follow. Each course will be given by different teachers from all the present countries. These countries are Serbia, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark and of course Belgium. The courses have different themes, for example, generalization & stereotypes, cultural self-awarness, theories to aid cultural analysis and problem solving and many more. Within these courses, you will play role-plays, games and do case-study’s.
Within these practical assignments you really have to try to play the roll you get. It’s not always gonna be easy but open yourself up for it and try the best you can!
Within this week it is not all gonna be theory & partical assignments. You will also go on a city tour in Bitola, do a daytrip to Ohrid (you are going to love it!) and so on. On the first night there will be an international diner with all the students so you can get to know each other. Within the week the group will also be mixed up so you really get the chance to seek contact with the students from the other countries.
This was in a nutshell what you can expect from your week in Bitola. What i really wanna say is, just go. Leave the doubts at home and open up for this new adventure. It is such a unique chance to be there. All the new students you are going to meet also have doubts & also don’t know what to expect. It is new for everyone. Everything is gonna be fine there. Actually no, i think you are going to love it there.
The different cultures, the other students, all the stories from them, North-Macedonia itself,… what’s not to like? The most doubts you have is because you don’t believe in yourself and everything you do is not good enough in your eyes. Make the best out of this week. Be strong, not insecure. Take of the mask & BE YOU!
Open up for this new adventure because you are never going to get a chance like this anymore.
Just remember, be open, be social, be yourself, but most of all? ENJOY the experience and never forget about it!
Go, have a lot of fun and do your best!
With all my love
Anna, Belgium,
October 16, 2021 Bitola – North Macedonia
