Something I’ve really come to appreciate during my time as a trainee is the importance of good colleagues. Sometime after a stay in a department when I think back on what made this department especially nice it often comes down to the people working there. Whether you found that the assignments and tasks at the department were of interest to you or not it is the people that will make you want to come back.

What it means to have good colleagues is of course depending on who you are and what people you are comfortable with. But as a trainee I think it has a lot to do with how you are welcomed into a new department, if people take the time to make you feel included. Since you don’t have a lot of time to get to know everyone, the first impression becomes very important.

Some people that have really made me feel welcome and included are my trainee colleagues here in Vienna. They have a really nice group of trainees here consisting not only of people from my trainee class but also former Corporate and local trainees. Already on my first day arriving here I was invited to come out to dinner with some of them, and since we’ve met for lunches and other trainee activities. It’s really been a great support to have them here, both in Octapharma related questions and as local guides. And even though I really like Vienna and the Octapharma site here it will be the other trainees that I will miss when I go home.

Octapharma Trainees with guests at dinner to celebrate last years trainne cless finishing their time as trainees