A Summer to Remember

            Wow to be back in the states. I think it’s finally starting to feel normal again. After being in Europe from May-July for 2 months it was really strange being surrounded by English speakers again. I had a pretty quick turn around when I arrived back home. I was offered a Co-Op position in California to start barely a week after I got back. I think being thrown into unfamiliar territories throughout my study abroad experience prepared me to accept another challenge in a place I’m not all too familiar with. I’ve been here for the last month and have gone in with an open mind to the cultural differences and the many new people I have met here. I can’t say that I would have the same attitude without going through what I went through this summer on Study Abroad.

My experience on the History of Medicine Study Abroad program completely exceeded my expectations in every aspect. From a learning standpoint, I had so many incredible experiences on excursions to museums, hospitals, medical centers, and more that put me right in the heart of the material we were studying during lectures in Bonn. I want to highlight a couple of things that still standout to me. Number one was the trip to the Bonn University Hospital, the least “hyped” excursion of them all. I went in thinking I would see routine procedures that I had seen before, which I would have enjoyed as well, but I did not expect to walk into a room in which a man’s sternum was sawed through and a beating heart was lifted almost entirely out of his chest. The procedure itself was amazing to watch and I admired the skill and confidence of the surgeons. What was also really cool about that experience was the environment itself. I spoke hardly any German, but to be right in the middle of a hospital in a foreign country and to be able to interact with German medical students, nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgeons was something I never even thought I would get to experience. Getting to see current medical solutions while studying the history of different medical procedures way back in the day, I was able to admire the progress but also see the parallels and similarities in the way people thought and how different procedures/products developed to what it is today. History of Medicine was a very valuable course for me, even as an Engineering major. I’ve always had an interest in healthcare and am still hoping to keep medical school as an option, but seeing heart valve technology, the development of anesthesia care, and my favorite the orthopedic arm and leg prosthetic devices at the Ottobock was amazing for me as a Biomedical Engineer.

On top of all of the educational excursions, we had free time to explore and immerse ourselves in the culture of many different foreign countries. During my time in Europe I was able to visit 11 different countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Spain, Italy, and Vatican City (If you count that one). The variety of different experiences we had was incredible. From biking through the busy streets of Berlin to the remote island of Norderney. From staring up at the glowing architectural feat that is the Eiffel Tower, to the spiked mountain ranges in rural Switzerland. We really had a chance to see it all, granted only some trips for a couple of days on the weekend, but we tried to get as much into this adventure as possible. I keep saying “we” because within days I made friends with a great group of people who tackled these adventures and challenges along with me. We still talk about study abroad and the things back here in America that take us back to those days across the world. We went through a good amount of challenges along the way, such as missing trains, purses being stolen (and thankfully taken back), bike crashes, and more but it all added to the experience and I wouldn’t change anything except for if I could’ve stayed longer. I did my best to keep an open mind with the new things I tried. The food, easy. I dove right into every cuisine in every country without a second thought. It’s making me hungry thinking about the Schnitzels, Brats, Potatoes, and Bread in Germany. I also tried many new things such as the Saunas and Mudbaths in Norderney. I think my skin is still feeling the effects of that now. I even got used to the public transportation throughout Europe, and Dr. Wasser was right in saying people usually miss that when they go back to the US, because I surely do.

One of the big things that made this program so great was meeting so many people from different countries and relating and connecting with them on so many levels. Yes, Mr. Trump was a common topic that people I met brought up, but on top of that it was nice to feel so many similarities to people growing up across the world. I also felt so welcome in these many different countries. For some reason going into it, I wasn’t entirely sure how people would feel about American tourists, but I can definitely say the welcoming and hospitable reactions greatly outweighed the negative ones. I hope to be able to travel back to these countries and meet back up with Henning, who became basically one of our group by the end while concurrently helping us around unfamiliar territory in Germany. And to go back to Swizterland, where Manfred, someone I had never met and knew through one of my parents friends, let a few of us borrow his car and travel around his beautiful country. He even invited us to stay in his hidden away cabin in the Sevelen Mountains, while being one of the nicest people I have ever met on top of all of that. Those are just a few of the people that really made my experience even better, and I haven’t even mentioned the countless strangers who gave us advice and helped us around or that I just had a casual conversation with in English, Spanish, or my very basic German.

I’m really glad I had the opportunity to go on such an incredible trip with a fantastic group of students and professors. It truly was THE best summer to date. I would recommend this to any inquiring students, and I really hope I get an opportunity to travel back to these places again in the future and expand my cultural horizons a little more.