Standing in Old Town, Stockholm in front of the famous colorful buildings

Author: Haadiya Muhammad | Major: Psychology

This summer, I spent three weeks in Sweden for the Health Teams Abroad program with the College of Education and Health Professions. It was a wonderful experience that left me with an abundance of new knowledge over both the US and Sweden’s healthcare systems. It opened a new perspective of medicine and healthcare. In Sweden, we met students from the School of Health and Welfare in Jönköping University, and I also learned a lot from their experience studying different fields in medicine.

I chose this program because I hope to go to medical school after undergrad. When I saw this program, I thought it would be perfect for me to broaden my view on healthcare and get new experiences of different types of clinics that I wouldn’t get in the US. In addition, getting a glimpse of another country’s healthcare system has helped me think about what I can do to improve my future career as a medical professional. I have learned that there are so many things from the Swedish healthcare system that are both different and similar to the US’, and I hope to implement everything I learned in the future. One thing I really liked about this program is that we had both in class lectures and visits to different healthcare facilities in Sweden. First, we visited multiple healthcare facilities in the US, like a private clinic and a nursing home, and then we visited those same places, but in Sweden. This way, we were able to view and learn their similarities and differences firsthand in a way that we would not have learned through only lectures in a classroom. The lectures we had were from Swedish professors from Jönköping University and Swedish healthcare professionals. They taught us about their healthcare system, the insurance agency, research they do, and more. In addition, our University of Arkansas professors were so knowledgeable in their fields and in medicine, and I felt I could ask them any question I had about the US healthcare system, and they would be able to answer it. They made us all feel very comfortable and eager to learn. We had a couple of assignments throughout the three weeks that helped us review what we learned, and there was also a group presentation that we did to help us put together everything we learned about both the Swedish and the American healthcare systems. Each assignment was beneficial for our future careers in the medical field.

In the mornings, we would have visits to healthcare places, but then the afternoons would be completely free for us to do whatever we wanted. My favorite experience while in Jönköping was going to a small island called Visingsö. The island was so beautiful and looked like it was straight out of a movie. Then, we all rented bikes and went on a bike ride around the island. We passed by fields of gorgeous flowers and green grass, and neighborhoods full of small colorful houses. Though the bike ride was exhausting, it was definitely an experience I will never forget. Another day, we went on a hike in the woods, and the nature was so amazing. Another thing I loved about Sweden was their public transportation. The first thing we got when we arrived in Sweden was bus passes because the only way to get around in the city is with the bus or walking.

I would definitely recommend this program to other students, especially students hoping to work in the medical field. Not only did we learn so much that will benefit all of us in the future, but we were also able to experience a new culture and so many unique and wonderful experiences. We spent two weeks in Jönköping and one week in Stockholm, and we had so much time to sightsee in both cities, so you become really familiar with both. One thing I wish I had known beforehand and that I took more seriously is packing lightly. I had been told to pack light before, but I still packed a lot, which I wish I hadn’t because you’re going to do a lot of shopping there. This trip was truly a wonderful and life-changing experience for me. I will remember it for the rest of my life, and I am so thankful that I was able to go.