Today was our final day in Bilbao. Although my body may be ready to go home, my mind can’t believe that my time here is already over. I have felt like my perspective on the world has changed so much through this trip, and I have really learned a lot. I have enjoyed so much…
Author: Conner Ralston
Day 11: Gernika
We started this morning with one of the most interesting on-site visits so far. We visited a company called Tekniker. Tekniker is an innovative company that works on cutting-edge technology, fostering bright new ideas, and helping young minds get started on leading the next generation of invention. Their facilities were so impressive. The compound had…
Day 10: Ob Athletica
Today, we had a presentation from one of my favorite people I’ve met on the trip so far, Mikel. He is a member of Saioa’s research team that developed the Oreka Balance machine. Mikel gave a detailed presentation about the function of balance in the human body. I learned a lot, including how crucial it…
Day 9: Workshop and Museum
Today I had a rough start to the morning; my alarm didn’t go off. So what was supposed to be a 7:40 wake-up for an 8:30 meet-up turned into an 8:30 wake-up for an 8:30 meet-up. Luckily, Sascha and I got ready fast and got down to the lobby by 8:35, where Dr. Professor was…
Day 8: Shopping and Funicular
This morning, we had another day to sleep in and catch up on some sleep, but for some reason, even though I am getting more sleep, I am getting more and more tired. I think the lack of sleep from the beginning of the trip is catching up to me. We met Saioa at 9:25…
Day 7: San Sebastian and Zumaia
This morning, we had a nice late wake-up so that we could sleep in after our long week. We met for breakfast around 9:20, and at 9:40 we all met in the lobby to get on the bus. I was still extremely tired, so on our one-hour bus ride to San Sebastian, I took a…
Day 6: Hospital Basturto and the Gugg
Today was an early start. We met up this morning with Mikeal before 8, which meant a 7 am wake-up, which was brutal. We walked to Hospital Basturto with him and met the head nurse, who introduced us to the history of the hospital and introduced multiple speakers from the staff to inform us of…
Day 5: Dr. Professor
Today was an exciting day. We woke up this morning and headed off to another hospital, this one different than the one in Gorliz. This was a private hospital, which gave it capabilities different from those of Gorliz, particularly in research. The technology in the hospital today was so impressive. They showcased an exoskeleton suit…
Day 4: Workshop and Cooking!
This morning, we met Saioa and walked to the University, where we got to learn so much. We heard from a few different speakers about Nursing in Spain and Europe v.s. the U.S, the design process, and the research process. The first speaker, a previous nurse and now a professor at the university, went into…
Day 3: Hospital Gorliz
Another fantastic day in Spain! This morning, we took a bus to Gorliz, a smaller town about 40 minutes from the hotel. On the bus ride to the hospital, I was lucky enough to sit next to Leiree, a local Biomedical Engineering student who will be completing a semester in Pittsburgh next year. She was…
Day 2: Uni Visit + Walking Tour
What a great first day in Bilbao. We started the morning by meeting with Saioa, going over our itinerary in detail, and learning about the exciting technology her research group is developing. It was a genuinely stimulating conversation that set a great tone for the day ahead. After a wonderful lunch, we met Mangel, a…
Bilbao Bound
Hi, my name is Conner, and I am a first-year student at the University of Pittsburgh, my hometown university. Growing up just 15 minutes north of the city, Pitt has always felt like a natural fit. I am currently working toward declaring an industrial engineering major, with a long-term goal of working in the sports…