Six weeks on La Côte d’Azur

By Rachel Tableman ('04)

St. Jean-Cap-Ferrat (South of France)

Bonjour! My name is Rachel Tableman and this past summer, I spent 6 beautiful weeks on the French Riviera, La Côte d’Azur in Nice. I had the opportunity to participate in the “France for the Pre-Med” program out of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Madame Colette Winn is the program director, and she taught the group of 17 students while we were there. This program is very unique since students have the opportunity to work with a doctor in a hospital during the mornings and take courses in the afternoon, as well as live with a host family. This was my first extended visit to France, and I was very nervous about my French speaking ability. However, I found my host family very welcoming, and by the end of 6 weeks I was much more confident in my abilities. My hospital placement was in the maternity wing/delivery room of Archet 2 (the hospital specializing in women and children emergencies) in Nice. I was able to see a live birth and several caesarian births. I also became very familiar with the bus system, since it was my main mode of transportation! The coast was beautiful, and my host family lived three blocks from the beach, where much of my free time was spent. Overall, although short, my experience in Nice was amazing, and I learned a lot about French, medicine, and myself.