Psychology is the science of human emotion, thought and behavior, including neural, physiological and cognitive processes, developmental factors, and individual differences, as well as interpersonal, international, and cross-cultural components.
Thanks to the collaborative educational program that Franklin has developed with the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, FUS students can benefit from the unique aspects of each institution’s curriculum and resources. Marina Buraschi ’21, majoring in International Management with an emphasis in Marketing and minors in both Psychology and Germanic Studies, knows this better than anyone.
In summer 2019 Marina completed an observational internship linked to the Psychiatry Department of San Raffaele in Milan. “I mainly observed the many different aspects of a psychiatric clinic. The department specifically deals with patients diagnosed with mood disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, borderline and bipolar disorders. I was able to experience the typical environment of a clinical department by shadowing medical residents and experiencing their daily duties first-hand. At the same time, I was able to be in close contact with its patients, mainly those of Dr. Cristina Colombo, who is also teaching at Franklin this semester.”
Additionally, Marina attended Master’s program classes at the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele. The classes covered topics like legal medicine, terrorism attacks and the psychological damage it can cause, security, and child abuse. As she remarked, “I was therefore able to get a wide overview of the many fields that psychiatry can touch upon. I also had the privilege of listening to the criminal interview recordings led by Professor Guido Travaini, Chair of the Department of Criminology at San Raffaele. It was very interesting to hear exactly how a criminological interview is organized - the questions that are asked and with which vocal register, along with the accused’s reactions and responses.”
Prior to her internship, Marina had taken two psychology courses taught at Franklin by Professor Travaini which helped her understand certain aspects of the clinic and the patients’ circumstances, especially when it came to having a certain approach. As she noted, “in such an environment it is important to adapt and be on your best behavior, and Franklin helps you do just that by being exposed to many people, as the university is very international. This characteristic definitely encourages students to adapt to any environment, not to mention the relatively similar small dimension of the department, which made the experience at the clinic much more real and genuine.”
Congratulations to Marina who set things in motion for this internship program. Franklin and Vita-Salute San Raffaele are excited to announce that five students with psychology majors or minors have enrolled in Franklin internships that will take place at San Raffaele for spring 2020.