When I landed at Vilnius Airport on a cold and snowy February morning, I could not have imagined how much of a mark this city would leave on my heart. I came here with one goal: to study medicine at Vilnius University, the largest and one of the leading educational institutions in Lithuania and the Baltics. However, I received much more than just academic credits.
For the entire semester, I was lucky enough to study at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, one of the largest and most technologically advanced hospitals in the region. From the very first day, I noticed that everything here was built on professional relationships, teamwork, and practical experience. I took training courses in various departments, attended surgeries, worked with patients, and made medical decisions under the guidance of a doctor. I brought something new, a great experience from every department. I witnessed the rarest medical cases, the likes of which are described in only a few dozen cases around the world, although I will not be able to share these details due to doctor-patient confidentiality.
 
During my exchange semester, one of the most impressive experiences was the clinical training in the field of Orthopedics-Traumatology, Rehabilitation, and Physical Medicine. It was not just a subject; it was a serious, practice-based, in-depth study of a discipline that has a great impact on the quality of life of many patients. Under the guidance of Professor Giedrius Kvederas, I became deeply familiar with the basics of Orthopedics and Traumatology. His approach and professionalism went beyond just the standard of teaching. He showed me traumatology from a different perspective - as an art of medicine that, through attention to detail and restoration of physical abilities, gives new energy to the patient's life.
 
I attended operations. I observed how the team worked precisely, how bone fragments were delicately removed, and how patients regained their ability to move. It was an experience that completely changed my perception of orthopedics and physical medicine.
 
The clinical experience in Vilnius was not monotonous - each department had its charm and challenge. But the pediatric weeks occupied a special place in my memory. The subject I studied was called "General Pediatrics and Neonatology". It covered the peculiarities of diseases, development, and treatment of children of different ages.
The academic coordinator of the subject was Associate Professor Dr. Sigita Petraitienė - a person whose warmth, organization, and professional vision set a completely new standard for clinical education for me. His guidance, discipline, compassion, and high-quality pediatric care was harmoniously blended in the learning process. Clinical practice was not limited to observation alone. Students often had the opportunity to actively engage in collecting anamnesis, physical examination, and developmental monitoring. From the very first meeting, I realized that communicating with a child is a completely different world. Little patients are very sincere - if they see trust in you, they will come to your side. It was precisely my relationship with them that taught me patience and observation in a way that no textbook can teach.
 
Outside the hospital, a completely different, no less significant experience awaited me. The cobblestone streets of Vilnius’s old town, baroque churches, and cafes where jazz and velvety silence reigned together. I visited Kaunas, Trakai, the lakes and forests of Vilnius, and I didn’t limit myself to the Baltic borders - Latvia, Estonia - all of them became part of my experience.
 
One of the most distinctive and memorable parts of my exchange semester was the international student environment. I studied in different groups, and the composition of each group was unique - people of different nationalities, experiences, and perspectives came together for a common goal: to study medicine. My group members were students from Europe, Asia, and Latin America - some from countries that I had only seen on a map before, and now they were standing next to me in the operating room. This difference did not separate us - on the contrary, it united us. It was this diversity that gave me the ability to work as a team in a multicultural environment. I still remember well how, after the internship, we discussed the details of the operations, how we were amazed by the reality of each other's countries, and how we laughed at small cultural differences. This friendship continues. I know that one day we will meet again, this time in a different format - as doctors, as colleagues.
 
In parallel with the international environment, I had another amazing discovery in Vilnius - Georgian friends who, despite not studying medicine, very soon became a part of my everyday life. I knew that being in a foreign country would not be easy, but these people made me realize every day that wherever the Georgian language is heard, there is always a part of home. We often spend our free time together - on Sundays, after lectures, in the park, or the old part of Vilnius, in search of sunny days. Our meetings were like a journey through a small Georgia. It was friendship, mutual understanding, and support in times of need - the inherent warmth that only a fellow countryman can give you.
 
Those who plan to travel to Vilnius in the future on an exchange program, go with an open heart, an empty notebook, and comfortable shoes. Be ready not only to gain new medical knowledge, but also to experience medicine in a foreign culture - a different language, different people, but the same human emotions.
 
I left a part of myself in Vilnius. In return, I received the warmth of the Baltic, new knowledge, and great experience, which I took with me to Georgia. I think it turned out to be a fair exchange, don't you think?