I continued to seek opportunities to immerse myself in a developmental environment abroad. The only option available during my next medical school vacation was an exchange program called “Work Experience” in the USA. Although it was quite different from my previous experiences abroad, it was the only opportunity I had at the moment, so I took it. I borrowed money from my uncle to finance the trip. As a result, I spent three months working at a ski resort, where I was able to engage with American culture and improve my English, hoping to secure a scholarship in the future, which was my goal. During this period, I searched for medical conventions focusing on sports medicine and orthopedics within a 250-mile radius, and emailed them all, requesting a waiver. I was accepted into a few of them, so I invested all the money I earned from working to rent a car and attend the conferences. After these experiences, particularly at the 27th Annual Dameron Lectureship in Orthopedics at NC State, I realized how incredible the American university system is. The combination of education, development, sports values, culture, and hard work is the type of environment I believe I need to reach my full potential.
In addition, I have another strong motivation to return to the United States: my “American family.” When I arrived at the ski resort on December 19th, I was searching for a place to work out. Despite a hip surgery that forced me to retire from professional soccer, I’m still able to exercise daily and serve as the soccer captain for my medical school team. Upon returning to Brazil, I would be participating in a national tournament among medical students in April, so I needed to stay in shape to lead my team. I tried everything to find a way to access a gym, even considering purchasing a bike to commute there during the winter. That’s when I met Sergeant Jason Brown, who kindly offered me a ride on the days he was working and lent me his bicycle. When he learned I was raising money to attend medical conventions, he arranged for me to give weekly soccer lessons to his 10-year-old son throughout the winter, which led to a strong friendship.
During this time, in January 2020, my father passed away in Brazil after spending 15 years in a coma. I was unable to return home, and if I had, I would have had to abandon my goal in the program and lose this opportunity. I asked if I could join the Brown family at their church to pray for my father. From that moment on, I attended Heaton Christian Church with them every week, becoming integrated into both the Brown family and the broader community. On my last day there, I delivered a heartfelt prayer and speech that moved everyone. People from the church lined up to embrace me. In the end, we all held hands and prayed together. I remain in contact with the wonderful people I met there, as well as the Brown family, and this is one of my greatest motivations to return to the US.