First week in Bonn

I have had a fantastic first few days in Bonn. My host family is really easygoing and nice, plus they have made me some delicious German food. Although we have only had one class so far, it was really interesting and informative. As a future Biomedical professional, it will be important to know the healthcare laws and policies across the world as well as the changing laws within the U.S. All the healthcare systems that we studied had their own benefits and flaws, and not every group of people will be satisfied in any system.  is interesting to know that only in the U.S do health insurance companies operate for profits, which is also good and bad. In a free market economy, the competition drives down prices of health insurance, but at the same time, the companies are only looking to make profits, so insurance companies try to charge the most amount of money for the least amount of care. At least in the U.S everyone has the freedom to choose a new healthcare plan if they so choose, but most don’t have the money to do so. I am a big fan of the freedom afforded to Americans in choosing a healthcare plan but as the U.S lags behind most other industrialized nations in statistics like the number of infant deaths while the U.S pays more per capita than other countries. So, the U.S healthcare system needs some changes and it will be interesting to see which healthcare model the U.S resembles after the Affordable Care Act goes into effect.

I also had a great time at the Kolner Lichter in Cologne. The fireworks show was very cool and it was a lot of fun hanging out on the grass by the Rhine. We also checked out the Cologne cathedral and it was breathtaking. We only walked around the cathedral for a few minutes so I’m looking forward to going back later this week and learning more about the cathedral. Bonn has been a lot of fun too. The people have all been very nice and the weather has been amazing. It’s a nice break from the heat in Texas.