I am a third-year pharmacy student from the Czech Republic. I attended an event organized by CzPSA back in October 2023, where previous SEP attendees shared their own experience from summer 2023. Hearing their stories made me excited about travelling abroad, I knew I would apply for SEP instantly.

I appreciated the wide spectrum of fields to apply for. I wish to explore my career options before I graduate. I had the "go big or go home" approach and opted for South Korea, Canada and Portugal as my potential destinations. Writing all those motivation letters (I applied for every grant I could to help finance the trip) and other administrative tasks sucked, but my adventure was worth it a thousand times.

The SEP still felt fantastic and distant at that point. I could not believe my eyes when, after weeks of anticipation, I was selected by KNAPS for their Research Programme. Suddenly my summer adventure became real. It became one of my biggest motivations to pass the exams ASAP in June so I could depart for my SEP with a clear mind. It felt like a reward for surviving yet another semester.

My placement was at the Duksung Women's University in the northern part of Seoul. It has the greatest view of the Bukhansan National Park. The mountains around Seoul are breathtaking.

I attended a two-week Research Programme at a dry lab focused on pharmacovigilance. I was shocked to find myself placed there alone, because the SEP students visiting the Czech Republic usually have classes and programme together.

My Professor gave me a hug when we met. I was nervous before meeting her, I could relax a bit after that. I was expecting a stiff, strict scholarly persona. She was very approachable and friendly but had a very tight schedule and spent a lot of time outside the lab. Her students were the best guides and their help was priceless. We had lunch together every day and chatted like old friends in a few days.

My own research project focused on Czech healthcare system and pharmacovigilance. I spent days reading articles and searching through databases.

Every day was so stimulating, full of new experience and I desired to catch it all and memorize every piece of it. Even the most ordinary things felt new and exciting. I loved trying new flavours, walking through the markets, by the river and EVERYTHING. I spent a fortune on skincare in Olive Young and Daiso stores. I kept myself going thanks to hectolitres of iced coffee. Those were essential in the terrible heat. Rest felt like a waste of time I could have spent exploring.

I became friends with two other students at the lab, a PhD student from Sri Lanka and an undergrad Korean student. I participated at several social events organized by KNAPS. I met such amazing people. I am glad that nowadays we can keep in touch via social media. Connecting with so many unique people felt special, and I am grateful for that opportunity. I enjoyed dinners the most, where we could try traditional meals together and chat. The KNAPS girls taught us to eat the new meals the right way and we had so much fun together.

Farewell at the University was emotional for me. I regretted I could not stay longer.

My partner joined me in the second week so we could have a vacation in Korea together after the programme. We spent three days in Seoul visiting museums, enjoying the city and food. My Korean friend from the University joined us for a day and took the unpaid position of our guide. We rented hanboks together (us girls, my partner refused due to the heat, unwilling to suffer in the name of beauty) and had beautiful photos taken by my partner in the Gyeongbokgung Palace and the Secret Garden.

Then we rented a car and spent three nights in the countryside exploring the western coast. I booked an accommodation for the night only a few hours before checking-in every day. Waking up not knowing how far and where we would drive that day was amazing. We visited temples, villages, seafood restaurants, ports, beaches... My wish to see the more authentic, not touristy spots came true.

Our departure back to Europe was heartbreaking. Our Korean trip felt like sample tasting and left us wanting more. I desire to come back so intensely that I am going to learn Korean and apply to spend a semester there in my final year of university. The experience was beneficial on so many levels. I forced myself to step outside of my comfort zone (or not to be lazy) more times than I could count. Chatting with strangers, my NAVER Map skills, dealing with unforeseen problems or just letting things flow a bit, when it felt like it, not over-scheduling everything, all of that got easier and easier and I was proud of myself.

Eye-opening, transformative and life-changing, all those strong adjectives ring true.

Klára Horáková