Dear future interns,

As you will soon realize, this internship is an amazing and extremely fulfilling experience. There is too much to write for just one post, but here are a few tips that might help you in the coming months:

Important Advice:

• Write down everything you do, everyone you interact with, and date each entry! (I made the mistake of forgetting to date all my entries). This will also make it easier to write blog posts later on.
• Be flexible. It is likely that you will have to wait a lot throughout the day and have last minute plan changes.
• Try to learn some Portuguese before going to Barretos. Although many doctors speak English, it goes a long way if you meet them halfway. By the end of the two months you’ll be amazed by how much you can understand and speak.
• Prioritize your work. You will meet many wonderful people who will want to show you their projects. It’s great to become familiar with their work, but also be conscious of the projects you are responsible for and the amount of time you have to complete them.
• Don’t be stressed about finding a personal project, it’s easier to find one than it seems.
• Ask lots of questions. This is the best way to find needs and projects to take back to Rice.

Not so important advice:

• Don’t be disciplined with your food choices. You can burn off the calories later. Eat that coxinha, go to that pizza rodizio, hide those pão de queijo in your bag when you go to the buffet.
• Wake up at least once to see the sunrise. It’s breathtaking.
• Bring some summer clothing. It can get very hot during the day even though it is Winter.
• Immerse yourself in Brazilian music. Listen to it all day, everyday- by the end you’ll know the lyrics of songs and be able to enjoy singing with your Brazilian friends.
• Don’t buy towels at Savegnago (the local supermarket). You’ll regret it for the whole internship.
• Introduce your mentors/friends to US foods, they’ll appreciate it (especially, chocolate chip cookies).