Aditi Junagade, Comparative Healthcare in Graz Summer 2023
As cliché as it might sound, studying abroad truly does change your life. For starters, you are living in a completely foreign country with students at Pitt that you may not know at all. Because of this, you learn to reach out and make friends with your group, and this friendship then blossoms to become the most supportive, outgoing, and travel-loving group you’ll find and have. Also, since study abroad programs generally have a theme, be it cultural immersion, business, or healthcare as was mine, you end up meeting people from Pitt who have the same interests (maybe even major and classes) as you, and so you end up broadening your connections and connecting with them so much more easily. One of my personal goals was to push myself out of my comfort zone which I did during this program by reaching out to make these friendships, and with their support, even talking to and learning German from locals.
Another personal goal of mine was to get as much cultural exposure and immersion, which I was able to do by either going out with my friends or even heading out and exploring by myself. I found food joints, shops, and plazas that gave me an authentic understanding and appreciation for my host country and its culture. When it came to my career and academic goals, I made sure that my selected program aligned with them. Since I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine, I selected the Comparative Healthcare in Graz program due to its healthcare focus. We visited places such as geriatric facilities, nursing homes, homeless shelters, and health clinics, and learned about a completely different approach to healthcare delivery, the intersection between medicine and culture, and the scope for advancement, both technological and medical, in the field. Furthermore, since the students from our host institutions were English majors, we learned about the humanities aspect of medicine- understanding the physician and patient viewpoints, along with the importance of language and interaction. Gaining this sort of exposure to a novel healthcare system allowed me to draw comparisons between the United States’ and Austria’s systems, while also bearing in mind the vast cultural and lifestyle differences between the two countries.
We also learned about how healthcare disparities and issues were similar in both countries, but their root causes varied. Overall, the program provided us with a global knowledge and understanding of medicine and the ways in which it is practiced. Learning about history, the connections between the humanities and medicine, and of course, innovative medical procedures and devices has introduced us to the breadth of the scope of advancement in the field. Furthermore, the language barriers and cultural differences has made us more cognizant and appreciative of various ethnic backgrounds and patients.
Leave a Reply