Author: Kendall Fisher | Major: Public Health | Semester: Summer 2024
Visiting the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
On May 12th, 2024, I found myself completely out of my element. I had been in London all of 20 minutes, and I was sitting on the floor of Heathrow airport in a circle of college students from across the country, none of which I had ever met. When choosing a study abroad program, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and have as many new experiences as possible. I also wanted to explore public health and policy outside of an American setting. When I found the three-week AIFS Study + Travel: Comparative Healthcare program, it felt like a perfect match.
Through this program, I got to explore the healthcare system of the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy by spending a week in each country. This made class an amazing learning experience! Not only did we get to see a new perspective on healthcare from each new country, but each student had a unique experience from their region of the United States that we could discuss. Our class days were split into two parts. We spent most mornings in a discussion-based lecture, which was followed by afternoon field trips to see real world applications. At first this class structure was difficult for me to adapt to because it was a lot more individually led than what I’m used to, but it allowed me to learn so much about how political and social, and cultural influences presented themselves within each system we studied. During class, I got to tour a hospital in each country, hear innovative health developments from startup companies in Barcelona, take a Mediterranean diet-based tour of the Central Market and a cooking class in Florence! My favorite place that we visited as a class was 56 Dean Street in London. Dean Street was a fully functioning NHS sexual health clinic in Soho which sees 600 patients a day! During my program, I also got 1-2 free days in each city to explore. I love history, and I got to see so many famous buildings and museums these days. My favorite from each city was the British Museum in London, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and Michelangelo’s David in Florence.
I knew going into my program that my biggest challenge would be how foreign the entire experience would be to me, both literally and figuratively. I’ve always been a very shy person, and I was going to leave the continent for the first time not knowing anyone ahead of time, let alone being familiar with the new culture. However, all the other students were incredibly nice, and we formed very quick bonds. Many of my favorite experiences during my time abroad were spent with my classmates, trying new things I would never have imagined if I had not taken a leap and picked the program I did. Studying abroad helped me learn to make the most of every experience, which is something I will keep with me coming back to classes at the University of Arkansas.
My advice to other UofA students looking to study abroad would be to embrace the challenge and try something new! One of the many benefits of studying abroad is that you can get a perspective that is completely different than your traditional educational experience. When you open your mind to the experience, you can learn so much about your chosen field of study, but you can also learn so much about yourself and develop your personal beliefs, values, and goals. This experience has been so impactful, and I am so grateful for the memories and connections I have made through AIFS!