Well, it is
now the night before we depart back to the U.S., and it has been quite the
experience. Being in Europe for two and
a half weeks has been a blast, and though I’m excited to see my friends and
family, I will be sad to leave. Besides
gaining a better grasp of the history of medicine, there are several more topics
about which I have learned and from which I have benefited.
Most
importantly, I think I have gained, a better understanding of how
different health care systems work, how they differ from each other, and what
problems each system faces.
Additionally, it has been fascinating talking to German health care
professionals and medical students and seeing how their schooling system is
different from ours. Though
I loved the educational aspects of the trip, I think the most memorable encounters
came from our free time and cultural experiences.
My favorite
place to visit during the trip was the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. I have always loved horses and riding and I
toyed with the idea of applying to the school several times. Ultimately, I decided to pursue medicine and
am happy with my decision, but it was still a surreal experience for me to see
the Lipizzaner stallions, the stables, and the famous show arena.
Above all,
and I know it is sort of cliché (but it’s true), the most memorable experience
has been meeting and becoming friends with the study abroad group. I’m glad
that we became comfortable with each other so quickly. I loved hanging out with the people on the
trip and have met some wonderful friends over the course of the past couple of
weeks. I will miss everyone and I’m sad
to be leaving Europe. Tomorrow, however,
I think I will be glad to be home.
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