For preparation reasons I assumed it to be a good idea to arrive earlier than the start of my placement. First I planned on arriving the weekend before, assuming that this will give me enough time to find my way around town.
It was then that I learned my first interesting fact about Sweden. To be able to start placements in Swedish healthcare setting, there is a mandatory MRSA screening for abroad students. For this screening it was recommended to me to arrive one week before my placement. The soonest I could travel to Sweden was Thursday the 25ft of April.
After a short flight from Brussels to Gothenburg, the what would turn out to be bumpy adventure with a tight time schedule began. Picking up my room keys, going to my MRSA screening appointment, fixing my public transport card and student card would’ve definitely been easier without a 23 kg weighing suitcase…
Adding on to that adventure there turned out to be a mistake with my room allocation. However, this was quickly fixed the next day. The rest of the days before my placement I spent getting to know the other students in my residence, got some schoolwork done and tried out the route to my the hospital of my placement.
From the bits of Gothenburg I had seen so far, I already fell in love with the balance between city and nature.