Today was such a memorable experience. We started the morning by taking a bus to Plentzia, followed by another to Hospital Gorliz, a rehabilitation hospital located right on the beach. The scenery alone was stunning, but the experience inside the hospital was even more impactful. We were welcomed by a group of nurses who gave a presentation about their roles, the clinical guidelines they follow, and how the hospital operates. The environment felt incredibly warm and supportive, everyone greeted one another, and the relationships between clinicians and patients were genuine and caring.

Our group was divided into four smaller groups to visit different parts of the hospital. We had the chance to visit the Oreka machine (used for balance rehabilitation), the pediatric rehabilitation unit, the brain injury recovery area, and a large rehabilitation center focused mainly on stroke patients. Each area provided insight into the patient care process and the teamwork involved in making a functional hospital system. One of the most interesting parts was learning more about Spain’s public healthcare system. It was fascinating to hear how care is provided free of charge to the public, so different from the U.S. system, and it really gave me a new perspective on healthcare accessibility.

After our hospital visit, we had lunch in Plentzia and then returned to Bilbao. In the evening, we attended a concert at the Arriaga Theater titled El Alma en un Tango. The music was phenomenal, the theater itself was absolutely gorgeous, and it was especially exciting to see Saioa perform live on such a beautiful stage.