The International Office (ERI) of School of Medical Sciences (SMS) of University of Campinas (Unicamp) promoted on November 17^th, 2021, the VIII Symposium of Student Exchange of SMS - Unicamp. Due the pandemic Covid-19 the event was organized virtually, trough Google Meets, and supported by the Executive Board of International Relations (DERI) of Unicamp, the Scientific Directorate (DC) Adolfo Lutz of SMS, and the Alumni SMS - Unicamp, receiving a total of 25 participants.

During the Open Cerimony participated: Prof. Claudio Coy, Associated Dean of SMS - Unicamp; Prof. Gustavo P. Fraga, ERI SMS Coordinator and Alumni Director; Rafael de Brito Dias, DERI Advisor; Davi Simões de Oliveira Junior, president of DC Adolfo Lutz. The first lecture was about “In-Service training program for foreigners under the SMS and hospitals covered by the Unicamp”, presented by Prof. Rodolfo C. Pacagnella, Professor of Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of SMS - Unicamp and Extension Council Coordinator.

The others lectures were:

• “My Adventure: an Unconventional Path”, with Dr. Patricia Barros, a pediatrician and PCI Certified Parent Coach®️. She graduated from SMS Unicamp (class XXV) in 1992, earned a certification in Traditional Chinese Medicine (Venezuela, 2007), and owns Insightful Parent Coaching, LLC. Patricia coaches parents with complex kids to find the joy and ease in parenting.

• “Becoming an Emergency Physician in Australia, a brief overview of the journey”, with Dr. Fernando Bergo, Emergency Medicine Fellow, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Graduated from SMS Unicamp (class XLI) in 2008.

• “My path from Unicamp medical student to stroke doctor in the US”, with Dr. Barbara Voetsch, Director of Acute Stroke Services and Co-director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts.  She graduated from SMS Unicamp in 1992 (class XXV), followed by residency in Neurology and fellowship in Vascular Neurology. She came to Boston, MA to complete her PhD in Neurosciences at Boston Medical Center, which she defended at Unicamp in 2002. In the US, Dr. Voetsch retrained at the Harvard Medical School MGH/BWH Neurology residency program, followed by a second Vascular Neurology fellowship at Boston Medical Center. At Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Dr. Voetsch helped grow the stroke program both in the inpatient and outpatient settings, and played a key role in leading the institution to obtain CSC certification. She is heavily involved in research and education, and has numerous publications and presentations in the field of stroke. She also serves as Director of Quality & Safety for the Division of Neurology and was recently nominated fellow of the American Heart Association for her accomplishments in advancing stroke care.

• “Journey as MD/PhD in Brazil to clinical work as Pediatrician in Canada”, with Dr. Nilcéia Lopez de Souza. She received her medical degree (MD) at Unicamp (class XXIV), in 1991. After finishing her Pediatric residency at Unicamp, she did clinical research obtaining her doctoral degree (PhD) under the Dept of Allergy, Immunology and Pulmonary Medicine. Subsequently she went to USA for post doctoral fellowship, and later moved to Canada, and lives in Ottawa, ON.

• “Medical observership abroad: Broadening your Horizons”. with Dr. Daniela Carvalho, a pediatric otolaryngologist at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego (RCHSD) and Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). She graduated at SMS - Unicamp (class XXVIII), in 1995, where she also did her Otolaryngology H&N surgery residency. She did a two-year clinical fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at RCHSD/UCSD. She earned a Masters of Medical Management from the Marshall School of Business, at USC. Dr. Carvalho is the Director of the Hearing and Cochlear Implant Program at RCHSD since 2003 and is the Medical Director of Surgery at RCHSD, where more than 20,000 surgeries are performed in children annually. She lives in sunny San Diego, CA.

The symposium was an excellent opportunity for current students to learn about the successful trajectory of some SMS - Unicamp graduates who are abroad and open the doors to new collaborations.