Moments before the start of the parade, the freshmen also celebrate. Among trucks loaded with “doctors”, you can hear the chants of the various courses. Between those looking for their place in the procession and families trying to break through the crowd to reach their siblings, children, nephews, or girlfriends and boyfriends, it is almost impossible to get around Rua de Camões on foot.
Everyone complains about the heat. Bruna Rocha, 19, and Beatriz Mesquita, 18, are no exception, but the medical students guarantee that they feel, in their debut in the academic procession, “an energy that cannot be explained”. “It’s a mix of emotions. Let’s stop being freshmen. It’s very emotional, and on the other hand sad, to see older colleagues leave”, describes Beatriz. In turn, Bruna admits that it is “challenging” to reconcile studies and practice in the first year of the course, “which is very demanding”. “But having this support from all your colleagues is essential to get through the year”, she summarizes.
Despite still having a long way to go, Bruna is already thinking about the future: “I would really like it if they created conditions to work in Portugal”. Beatriz follows: “I would also really like to stay in the country and pass on the lessons that my university, which is Portuguese, gave me, to the population”.
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