The Shift

           When I look back on my experiences in Germany and Austria, I remember little things: perfect cappuccinos, sweet gummy bears, cobblestone streets, and breath-taking architecture. I remember my painfully-slow attempts to express myself in German, the polite chuckles I received in return, and how practically everything was conveniently translated to English.

What I recall immediately are just details that do not inherently matter, and yet I feel as though I have absolutely been changed by this experience. It’s difficult to put into words at first, and so I revert to the laundry list of European nouns that made up my original understanding of their culture. How ignorant I was!

All of my life I have seen things from my perspective. My American, Texan, conservative, Caucasian perspective. I suppose I considered myself an open-minded person, but now I see that was just a lack of self-awareness. I can’t pinpoint the moment I changed, but there are several foundational experiences which I believe catalyzed my shift in perspective:

Stereotypes are notoriously inaccurate, but I am going to draw one anyway: Germans are a kind, accommodating, and respectful group of people. Whether at restaurants, on the street, or on the train, my attempts to speak German were met with good-humored laughter and polite corrections. In general, people made an attempt to help me improve my pronunciation before switching to English to give me directions or take my order. No one ever refused to answer me or made me feel stupid. It’s give a man a fish vs. teach a man to fish all over again. Each person I spoke to helped me express myself a little better the next time.

The hospitality of the German people was truly humbling. It made me think about how people, myself included, sometimes view immigrants in Texas who speak very little English. So often I have made an assumption about someone’s intelligence simply because they didn’t communicate in my language. And I didn’t even stop to consider the technical difficulty of learning a new language in a foreign country, or the psychological experience of being frequently misunderstood, feeling like an outsider on a daily basis.

I cannot talk about Germany without mentioning Olaf, our program coordinator. He took such care in handling our group’s affairs and ensuring our safe travels, and he met us every morning with a cheerful and genuine smile. I remember one morning, during a tour of one of the anatomical museums, I became very cold but had already checked my coat at the door. Without a word, Olaf took off his coat and put it around my shoulders. I thanked him, and he just smiled like it was nothing and continued looking around the museum. Olaf’s quiet kindness contributed much to my opinion and understanding of the German people, and I am so thankful to have met him.

On that thought, I owe so much of my new knowledge about German history and culture to Dr. Wasser, our professor for the History of Medicine course. Not only did he have an encyclopedic knowledge of everything German, but he expressed it with such contagious passion. He lectured during several museum tours, and frequently the tour would grow, doubling or tripling by the end as small groups of Germans joined our group to hear Dr. Wasser speak.

We were very lucky to have a professor who taught more than what was in the textbook. One lecture that stands out to me regarded the various health care systems, both domestic and abroad. It allowed me to open my mind to the possibility that there are more than two viewpoints on healthcare. I live in a country where progress is generally stifled by two dominating, polarizing political parties. I guess what finally struck me is that things are frequently not black and white; there is usually an option “C” and “D” and so on. I now truly understand that compromise is the key to progress.

Each person approaches problems from a perspective based on unique experiences and ideals, but in the end we are all seeking a solution; the realization that we are all on the same team is so elementary, yet it took me 21 years to come to it. Humankind poses a strange contradiction: from our DNA to our experiences, we are individual, each bringing something unique to the table. But at the end of the day we are the same: we search for purpose, for love, and for knowledge with a common intensity.

            I feel now, as I write, the enormity of my shift. Study abroad is about learning to think differently, making connections where you never imagined they could exist, and breaking out of your comfort zone in order to grow as a person. I am so grateful to have been a part of such a wonderful experience, and I think it will always be dear to me.

Affected

   The Olympics proved to be quite different for me this year. I of course rooted for the USA, yet surprisingly I was equally excited to see German or Austrian flags raised above the rest. Although I may not speak the language, I now feel a connection to this part of the world. A connection not only to this small area of Europe, but on the global scale. My study abroad experience allowed me to view the world in a new light, one that illuminated the beauty of cultures much different than my own.
   This experience affected me in so many profound and life-changing avenues. As a soon-to-be medical school applicant, I have gained an entirely new view of medicine. And not only medicine, but of global issues and policies. United States Capitalism is toted as the survival of the fittest, and those of lower income may "easily" work to become successful. Americans seem to live and die by this ideal, the American Dream. Yet as we face increasing poverty and the realization that we are no longer #1 in many aspects, is this dream still alive?  
   "Socialism" and lower quality of care is often linked to universal healthcare in the minds of Americans. How different the term truly means when executed correctly as they have done in much of Europe. Nothing struck me quite as much as the German's lack of medical bankruptcy. Students were not faced with enormous debt to struggle with for the remainder of their lives. When I hear others speaking about the evils of universal healthcare I no longer robotically agree. I am able to prove the success of such programs with the knowledge I gained while in Germany. The reaction people have to the notion of free college has been quite comical.
   My time abroad also served as a reminder of the beauty of humanity. The world is a vast and expansive place, yet all those who inhabit it are wonderfully connected. Born and raised in Texas, it becomes quite easy to neglect the thought of any other cultures and ways of life. However, seeing the size of weiner schnitzel, I can honestly say not everything is bigger in Texas. Nor is the oversized truck the only acceptable means of transportation.
   Not only did this journey change my global perspective, it also ignited a need to see more; to travel, to learn, to explore, and to experience all this world has to offer. I am simply too comfortable in my little Texas bubble, and now that I have ventured outside of it I see the value of being uncomfortable.
   Adjusting to life without world-class museums and public transportation at my fingertips proved to be more challenging than I anticipated. Without a moment to truly reflect on my experience, the Spring term began and I was instantly hit with reality. The daily classwork, organization meetings, hours in the library, and nights without sleep greeted me once again. In the bustle of day to day activities, I would at times remember how I had spent the past month. Exploring parts of the world many can only dream of, I was given the greatest opportunity and now it was all over. The excitement and anticipation leading to the trip lasted months, yet the realization that it was truly over occurred in one gut-wrenching moment.
   The trip may have ended, yet the memories and friendships certainly haven't. Let's face it, when you spend a month with others you either get along with them or succumb to misery. I was extremely nervous not knowing a soul before flying across the Atlantic, but little did I know the group I would be traveling with would include such funny, brilliant, and caring people. And never did I think these strangers would continue to support me even after we stepped foot back on American soil. Yet that's exactly what happened, and I am thankful we manage to stay in touch despite our hectic schedules. Our own catchphrases (shut "unspecified city" down, that's what she said, etc.) live on in the US and I hope we can all continue to be close.
   Sitting in microbiology on an ordinary Thursday, I first heard of this opportunity via an excited and eager Dr. Wasser. Sure, traveling to Europe would be exciting, but I never imagined I would be able to study abroad or that I would be so greatly affected. As I sit here recounting the numerous lessons and friendships I have encountered, I believe I made one of the best decisions of my life on that ordinary Thursday.

Another life time...

It blows my mind that less than two months I was getting on a plane and taking a risk. So much has changed since December 26th. It seems like a different life ago - when our plane landed in College Station, natural habits took their role and walked me through my days. Without a doubt, I am purely exhausted. School is overwhelming and there just seems like there is no time for anything. Or rather, that I am doing everything for everyone else. But going to Germany was that one thing that I did for myself, and it was one the best decisions I could have ever possibly made. Going on this trip changed me a number of ways, and differently than my past trips have changed me.

First off, I learned that my family means the entire world to me. Having the ability to see them during my free weekend was such a blessing, and it reminded me of the amount of love we give each other. They are without a doubt my support and rock.

Secondly, my viewpoints and appreciation of history drastically changed. 200 years of history here is about an hour of history there. The architecture, culture and overall historic events were breathtaking, and the feelings it produced when I knew that I was standing at such a site where so much had taken place, could never be replicated.

Third, keeping an open mind to a new way of living, is crucial to the appreciation of the culture itself. Those "ten-minute walks", paying for water and the restrooms, and using public transportation everywhere was definitely the shock I needed to realize that although similar, our cultures are very different. An essential component of traveling anywhere is learning to keep an open mind, and I am so blessed to have already had an experience that allowed myself to do that.

Fourth of all, I learned so much about medicine more than I ever did shadowing anyone or talking to any physician. Learning about the German and Austrian healthcare system opened my eyes to how screwed up ours really is. Furthermore, the amount of medical occupations and opportunities are so much more than "just going to medical school", whether it is working for Pfizer or in research, this trip displayed drastically how many doors can be opened to different areas of medicine.

Lastly, I learned that if I want to learn anything knew in life, I need to step out of my comfort zone and do things on my own - without the help from others. As I grow mentally, I want to have the satisfaction that I can do anything on my own, and that whether I am in my comfort zone or not, that I can always handle the situation. This trip was a good dose of finally doing something independently. I have been traveling for as long as I can remember, and even by myself in many cases, but never have I done it to where I would travel with new people, whom I only saw at a few brief meetings. Never have I had to maneuver through cities where I didn't know the language, or attempt to order my meal or drink in German, or further use the public transportation system (especially coming from a place where my car is my best friend). These were all experiences that I learned on my own, in those very short two and a half weeks that I spent abroad.

I still catch myself saying "bitte", "danke", and "tschüss" all the time while I am here. I attempt to explain to people about Germany and Austria's different health care systems. I can barely stand to not walk to places anymore - I try to walk everywhere on campus, and when people complain about it, I just think of all of those "ten-minute" walks I took for granted. I'd like to think I brought a little bit more back from Germany than just pictures.

I am still tired, and I think I am still recovering from all of the tours and walks and excitement. But without a doubt, I would do it all over again.

Bis bald, Deutschland!

Let's go back

There aren't many days since we left Vienna that I haven’t found myself thinking that I wish I could go back, that I was still in Germany—especially every Tuesday and Thursday when I sit through my German class.  As the stresses of this semester continue to pile on, I would trade my car for a flight back to Germany to continue studying there—well my car might be exaggerating a bit, but I would definitely rather still be abroad than wrestling with biochemistry.  

In my German course this semester the focus is on contemporary issues and life in Germany, but there does not seem to be any that can even begin to be discussed without first thoroughly considering their past and history and how it affects life in Germany today.  So many topics we have covered thus far relate at least in part to some new knowledge that Dr. Wasser so kindly imparted on us or a museum, city, or place that we visited.  I had no idea prior to the trip that it would correlate so closely with my course, but I love being able to sit in class and connect all of these ideas about contemporary Germany not only with the weekly German films and readings but also with what I learned abroad this winter.  There was a tempting opportunity for anyone in the class to travel to Berlin the first week of April—I will not going, partly because I was just there, a lot of the itinerary was covered on our trip, and my course load is much too demanding to miss an entire week of school, but also because let’s face it my class is not nearly as much fun as the group we had.  All of the INTS students who have traveled with Dr. Shandley before swear that you will never do more walking in your life, but I refuse to believe that they walked more than we did with our always-on-the-go itinerary.  (And I think Savannah’s pedometer has all of the proof needed.)

As I try to think back to everything we did and experienced in Germany, my memories are filled with an abundance of medicine and German history and culture, but I find it most curious that I took a trip abroad and came back with a more thorough understanding of some contemporary American issues—most specifically our healthcare system and its looming reforms.  I’m a lot more knowledgeable about how our current system works, and some of the details of the changes which Obamacare represents are much more clear— information that I most likely would not have taken much time to become familiar with on my own.  And although I am not going into the human medical field, I still find it important for individuals in the country to be well informed on such large prospective changes and am confident that I can now at least hold an intelligent conversation on the topic.  As far as all of the excursions revolving around the history of medicine, a lot of it still remains relevant to things that I am studying in veterinary medicine and makes me eager to put my education to more practical use in the field.  I am probably correct in assuming that I had my first and probably last opportunity to scrub in on a human surgery on this program, and I think that the open heart surgery will always be one of the coolest things I’ve ever witnessed.

After spending those brief weeks abroad, I have definitely come to a greater appreciation of free water, refills, and restrooms. The Germans are seriously deprived of some good mac and cheese, but I loved how easily accessible and affordable public transportation was, and the historical buildings and city sights are far more appealing than the endless College Station construction.  I’ve been to Germany once before, but this experience was by far the better of the two, and I think that faculty-led programs are one of the best ways to first experience a different country and study abroad.  This program was a fantastic opportunity to learn and explore all while being in the company of someone who knows the country and customs much better, and with this experience I’d feel much more comfortable going back to Germany on my own.  It’s instilled in me a stronger desire to live abroad for a more extended period of time at some point in my life and also resurfaced the aspiration of working harder to become more fluent in the language.  I constantly find myself wishing that I would have studied in Germany for an entire semester, but I suppose if I choose not to graduate a semester early in the Fall I still could.  Such decisions. . . 

Thank you Dr. Wasser and Olaf for a great time!

 

 

 

Danke und Gig 'Em!

Studying abroad in Europe this past winter has altered my perspective as an American in may ways. First of all, I have reframed my perspective of foreign countries. I am glad to finally be able to say that I have broadened my life experience beyond my upbringing in my home country. I find myself more concerned with world conflicts and news in foreign countries, which is of special interest now during the Winter Olympics. It's not like I didn't care before, only that now I have a greater understanding of life outside the U.S. and therefore a greater understanding of news outside the U.S., particularly in Europe. I feel like I now know a little bit about living in a different country, at least enough to have a stronger opinion about what goes on in other countries, even when it doesn't affect my own life in America.

Second, I have reframed my perspective of America, since now I have had the experience of examining my home country from the outside looking in. The primary subject at hand on this study abroad was the differences between healthcare systems in America and in Europe, which is obviously important for me to have a grasp on as a future healthcare practitioner. However, participating in this exercise over winter break has made me unafraid of doing so with other subjects, including civil rights in gay marriage, for instance. I have gained some skill in comparing America objectively to other countries, which is an important skill for all Americans to look for alternative solutions to our problems and make more knowledgable decisions as a country.

Third, I have reframed my perspective as a future healthcare practitioner. Having exposure to so many different aspects of European medicine, including healthcare systems and practice, has given me unique experiences as a pre-medical student. They measure up to so more than a just a resume boost and something interesting to bring up during interviews, though. The content of this trip forced me to take into account the evolution and importance of social justice in medicine, particularly for women, which allows me to be more conscientious of treatment decisions and how they apply to the individual of any diverse background. In addition, learning about the logistics of a relatively developed and efficient healthcare system gives me a greater understanding of the process of developing and implementing our new healthcare system in America. I now feel like I have a more knowledgable opinion of Obamacare in America.

Finally, studying abroad has allowed me to reframe my perspective as an individual. Meeting and interacting with new people from different backgrounds and cultures from my own has enabled me to broaden my understanding of the human family. I also learned about myself on this trip, in that I do well living in another country and immersing myself in other ways of life. Lastly, I identified all the awesome American stuff that I take for granted (like free restrooms, bottled non-sparkling water, and Pringles) and what some Germans might take for granted (like free school, cheep trains, and good bratwurst). Any way I look at it, this trip changed my life, most importantly my awareness, understanding, and acceptance of perspectives and ways of life that might differ from my own. Thanks, Dr. Wasser, Olaf, and all of you guys and gals for experiencing this with me! Aufwiedersehen/Until we meet again... :)

Back in the Good Ol' USA

It still blows my mind that our short excursions to Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria were already over a month ago. As much as I want to still say that my exhaustion still is off jet lag, sadly that excuse is now invalid (thank you Junior Year BMEN...). Even though I run mostly on lack of sleep, I look back on my trip and my experiences with a lot of gratitude and thankfulness for the experience, and in this post I want to share the life lessons I learned while abroad.

1. There is always room for improvement and there is always learning to be done. As much as the US wants to say that we are the best, we have things to work on with health care being a prime focus of discussion on the trip. We as individuals can always learn from others, and there is always going to be someone else with a different way of doing things or thinking about things. There is always more to learn.

2. Live life in a way that reflects joy and take in every little moment. Spending New Years in Berlin was still to this day one of the coolest things I have ever done. Why get bogged down in the little things when we should just really celebrate life, every day?

3. Learn about others. Everyone has a cool back story or a way of living. Everyone has a reason as to why his or her life is the way it is. Learn about it. Learn about the culture of the place you're in.

4. Understand the past. This not only applies to history, but in personal life as well. As we understand the past history, it keeps us from repeating the same mistakes or to put things in place that will keep us from making the same mistakes. It is also important to understand one's own past mistakes to be able to make changes.

And last but not least,
5. Take a risk. Studying abroad is a risk. We can't continuously live in our comfort zone, because in that place we do not expand or grow. Do something that scares you. Conquer a fear or do something out of the abnormal for you. You can't grow as a individual if you never have new experiences. I feel this is why so many people are depressed in their day to day lives: it's the same routine. Keep your brain alive and your body alive. I think of this definitely more my adult life and what is to come after I graduate. I continue to think about this and the thought of moving out of Texas. Maybe now is the time to go, take a chance somewhere else after May 2015. Be open to all possibilities because I don't know the future or what life is going to bring. Never close doors.

I couldn't have asked for a better experience. As tiresome as it was and as many walking tours as we did, I am so thankful for the experience and the people I had the opportunity to travel with: definitely couldn't have ever asked for a better 10 people to go with, professor to learn from, or of course coordinator to keep us "schnelling", running for trains, and still arriving early.

But let's be honest, my diet coke does taste a lot better with ice in it and man, did I miss queso and Mexican food.

I guess I am signing off for the last time :(,
Jessica