Author: Amber Jared | Major: Biology | Semester: Summer 2024

With an art piece about heart transplants at Karolinska Institute

I have never experienced as much shock as I have when I studied abroad in Sweden for 3 weeks this summer. I was in a constant state of disbelief from the moment I got on the plane to when we were dropped off at our hostel and even until the moment we were leaving. This was my first time to leave the United States, and I am so grateful that I chose the Health Teams Abroad program to lead me on this adventure. When searching for a study abroad program, I knew I wanted it to include aspects of the medical field, healthcare, or something that correlated with my future career goals of becoming a physician. HTA happened to be the program I was constantly told about from past alumni and faculty who experienced it themselves, and I am so glad I trusted their judgment and advice.

We left the weekend directly after finals, so it was a very fast paced transition between the spring semester and studying abroad, which probably added to the shock and disbelief of being in an entirely different country so soon. I wasn’t sure what to expect and had no clue how different Europe as a whole would be compared to the US. It turns out that there were quite a few similarities, and I did not, in fact, have to pack as much as I did. Nevertheless, there were definitely some cultural differences that made it clear why Sweden was the chosen country for us to study healthcare in. It was very interesting to observe a society filled with quiet, respectful people who clearly cared for their community and everyone around them. Here in NWA, it’s obvious that we’re very community-oriented and have an abundance of kind people; however, in Sweden it was different. It’s like it was a society that was specifically built for the greater good of its citizens, especially concerning healthcare.

We learned about how Sweden has a Beveridge healthcare system where the government owns most medical centers and finances them through high taxes. Most Swedes I talked to didn’t mind the high taxes and had the selfless mindset of wanting to be able to help other people in their community while also knowing they’d receive the same assistance if they ever needed it. We were able to tour a variety of private and public healthcare clinics, rehab centers, and an elderly care facility. Although there were significant differences between each place, they all seemed to have the same goal in mind of helping their patients achieve the best outcome possible. There were some cons to this system, such as the long queue patients had to wait in to be seen and the disparity of treatment between those who have Swedish citizenship and those who don’t. However, I feel that every current and future healthcare worker can learn something from studying Sweden’s system, especially when it comes to patient advocacy. The largest difference I noticed was how the opinion of every healthcare worker, no matter their title, was equal and how everyone always worked together as a team rather than in a hierarchical sense. These health teams would meet to consider the patient’s long term care plan to ensure no aspect of their health was overlooked while also including the patient’s opinions, ideas, and goals. Moving forward, I hope to create positive spaces in the US healthcare system by allowing my patients to have control of their healthcare plan, giving them abundant resources to guarantee their physical, social, emotional, mental, and occupational health are all taken care of, and taking the time to effectively collaborate with my peers no matter their position because we’ll all have different experiences and expertise to speak on.

There are definitely multiple aspects of Swedish culture I’d love to bring back to the US if it was possible. The most outstanding part to me would have to be fika. Fika is a break built into a Swede’s Day that serves as a way to avoid being overworked while also building community. It’s a time where you drink coffee and have a sweet treat while fostering relationships with your coworkers and peers. We couldn’t stop talking about bringing fika back to the US and how we all thought the world would be a better, happier place if everyone celebrated fika (if you know, you know). I also appreciated the walkable cities we encountered and how environmentally conservative it seemed there with accessible public transportation and their efforts in recycling and reducing waste.

Apart from the discussion-based lectures, medical facility tours, and group hikes with Dr. Mack Ivey, my favorite personal experience while in Sweden was going to a Taylor Swift concert in Stockholm with two students from Jonkoping University. While it might sound risky going on a four-hour car ride to a city I’ve never been before with two girls I just met that week, I think it’s a huge testament to the kind of relationships we’re able to build when we study abroad. I was able to make friends rather quickly with people who live across the world that I wouldn’t have been able to meet in any other circumstance. They were so sweet and introduced me to traditional Swedish snacks and drinks before embarking on our road trip. Getting to experience my all-time favorite artist with two new friends who I will now know the rest of my life was the perfect recipe for a weekend I will never forget.

Studying abroad definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. Although not everything went perfectly, I wouldn’t alter any part of this experience. It was a unique way to grow my outlook on life, and I am so happy I took the leap of faith and applied for this program without knowing what the future would hold.