We visited the archaeological pyramids and ruins of Teotihuacan, the largest urban center of Mesoamerica before the Aztecs.

Author: Paige Diamond | Majors: Biology, Spanish | Semester: Summer 2023

My name is Paige Diamond, I am in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences as a Biology and Spanish major with a Psychology minor. I studied abroad in Puebla Mexico for 5 weeks with the Spanish Immersion and Service Learning Program with the University of Arkansas.

Being a Pre-med Biology and Spanish major I knew that I wanted to find a program where I would be able to advance both of those studies and have the opportunity to learn from hands-on experience and immersion. My time in Puebla, Mexico did not disappoint, but rather went above and beyond my expectations. Upon arriving at UPAEP, the university that we were partnering with in Puebla, I had assumed we would be taking Spanish classes with a touch of medicine added in. However, upon arriving, the classes were almost 100% in Spanish and we got to learn about all different types of medicine like trauma, triage, burn and injury treatment, traditional vs conventional medicine, and about the health care system in Mexico. Our classes were taught by either doctors or nurses that normally teach the pre-med students at the university. Twice a week we would shadow these doctors and nurses in various medical clinics and the other two days a week we would have hands-on laboratory experience. The laboratories were hands down my favorite part of the learning experience. We learned and got to practice various physical therapy treatments, CPR, Triage, how to bandage an injury, and we even got to suture on a cadaver! All of these classes and labs were taught in Spanish which helped to expand my Spanish vocabulary more than I could have hoped! While I learned a multitude of different medical terminologies in my time in Puebla, just being immersed in a different language every day, not just in the classroom but every other surrounding, has expanded my spanish vocabulary and knowledge of the Spanish language ten-fold. However, while I learned so much, it was also an eye-opening experience that taught me just how much I have left to learn about the Spanish language! After being in a country where my native language is not the predominant language spoken, I have gotten a small taste of how difficult and uncomfortable it can be, trying to communicate with those around you but not having the right words to convey how you’re feeling. Because I am wanting to go into medicine I want to provide my future patients with the highest quality of care possible. By continuing to learn the Spanish language I am hoping to broaden the reach I would have as a doctor and provide higher quality care to my Spanish-speaking patients; hoping to provide the comfort of being able to speak in their native language while trying to convey how they’re feeling in a setting that can be intimidating to many.

Outside of the classroom, we got to not only experience the culture in the city of Puebla, but we took weekend trips to Cholula, Oaxaca, Cuetzalan, and Mexico City! On these trips we visited museums, historical archeological sites, waterfalls, and many other cultural sites! My favorite museum we went to was the Frida Khalo museum in Mexico City, it was built into her and Diego Rivera’s old house. It was a beautiful museum that portrayed their artwork and different stages of their life. However great all of these places were, the people I met throughout this trip made it even better. Every day on our walk back from class we would pass this women-owned pastelería. Every once in a while we would stop by and talk with the women who owned it and get coffees and pastries. The women were so welcoming to us and always greeted us with excitement whenever we visited. On our last day in Puebla they made us a beautiful going-away cake. Being away from home for 5 weeks could be difficult at times but it was people that we met like the women at the pastelería that made us feel at home in a foreign country.

Through immersion and service learning this program taught me more about the Spanish language and Mexican culture than I had ever learned before. I’m not a person that gets homesick often, however, before going on this trip I wish I had known how easy it can be to get homesick whenever you are in a country where everything around you is foreign. There was a longing to be in a comfortable setting where everything was familiar to me. However, even though that part was challenging it was also eye opening to what many people in the US experience when English is not their first language. For anyone wanting to further their Spanish speaking skills and learn about the culture of one of our neighboring countries I whole-heartedly recommend this program! It was an amazing eye-opening program that I think more people should experience!