Author: Haarika Ayyadevara | Major: Biochemistry | Semester: Summer 2024

Attending my first rugby game in Limerick: Munster vs. Ulster!

This summer, I spent two and a half weeks studying in Ireland through the U of A Faculty-led: Health Care and Social Services program. By choosing to attend this program, I was hoping to learn more about the comparisons of the Irish to the American healthcare system. While exploring various cities in Ireland, I would also receive six credit hours towards my Medical Humanities minor. I realized by the end of the session that what I gained was much bigger than that. While looking for programs to attend, I was very set on studying healthcare and learning about the infrastructure, resources, and services provided in a different country. As a pre-med student, I could understand what aspects of patient care, and the provision of services/resources results in better patient satisfaction. These concepts will be implemented into my own treatments as a doctor. To effectively compare and contrast the Irish systems with the American equivalents, we visited places like local dementia care clinics and the UARK Food pantry to understand the systems at home. Learning more about social work in Ireland would teach me how to best accommodate a patient’s non-medical needs into their overall treatment and recovery.

We arrived in the Dublin airport and got on a two hour bus ride to Limerick, where we stayed at the University of Limerick. The university was incredibly lush, surrounded by bright greenery and connected over the Shannon River. While in Limerick, our group visited various agencies including Jigsaw, which is the National Center for Youth Mental Health. We were able to speak to their team, including a few of their youth representatives, on their initiatives towards counseling and assessing trauma in adults. We were able to visit the Limerick City Public Health Department (HSE) where we delved deeper into the Irish healthcare system by learning about some of its current issues and working through our own case study. One of the most enriching experiences in Limerick was our visit to Carebright, a local dementia care facility. The residents were separated into various houses depending on their stage of dementia, and I had the opportunity to tour the facility, share lunch with residents in one of the houses, and participate in their activity of the afternoon: singing! After spending the week in Limerick, we went to Galway, where we stayed in a bed and breakfast. We were able to visit Brothers of Charity which serves individuals with intellectual disabilities as well as their families. I was able to learn about the foundation, see the member-directed art gallery, and watch some of the members of their music group play the Javanese gamelan. While in Galway, we were also able to interact with both the older adults and young adults/” school leavers” groups of the Wheelchair Association. Serving those with physical and intellectual disabilities, the organization assists with aspects like housing, socialization, and transportation. We were able to converse and play American and Irish trivia to test the knowledge of our own countries; the organization even gave us the chance to sit in a wheelchair as their van drove us around. To compare the UARK pantry to an Irish equivalent, we visited the student-run University of Galway pantry. We spent our last four days in Dublin, where we stayed in Trinity College at the heart of the city. In Dublin, I was able to learn about Trinity’s disability services and participate in a guided walking tour of Monto, which used to be a red-light district.

The various sites I visited were incredibly engaging and taught me more than I ever could have learned from reading a textbook. The genuine conversations I had made me learn about the nuance to some of the ongoing issues in Irish healthcare, such as the deficit in hospital beds, the housing crisis, and the lack of accessibilities for the physically disabled. Despite some of the insufficient resources, these organizations proved to be incredibly involved in the treatments and services they provided to their clients. There was a clearly strong sense of empathy and passion across all these organizations that reflected in their services and their success.

Outside of academics, I was able to explore the cities of Limerick, Galway, and Dublin and experience some milestones, including my first rugby game! I found myself learning the rules of the sport as I was watching the game, but by the end, I got the hang of it and found myself cheering alongside the rest of the stadium. In Limerick, we were able to visit the Knappogue Castle and eat a medieval dinner while watching a show.  A local milk market is essentially a large farmer’s market. I was able to experience the various enticing foods and accessories. I ended up caving and purchasing a new pair of earrings. On the way to Galway, we had a group excursion to the Cliffs of Moher, which proved to be one of the most beautiful views I had ever seen. In our weekend in Galway, we took a trip to the beach and had an excessive amount of gelato. We took a day trip to Howth once we reached Dublin and did a guided hike that made me question my fitness levels.

Overall, I truly feel like I have grown and challenged myself in new ways during my time abroad. Whether it be navigating public transportation for the first time or leading the group during a site visit, my program gave me a multitude of opportunities to put myself in uncomfortable situations that forced me to adapt. I was able to feel comfortable over time and enhance my problem-solving skills, and the lessons I have learned will follow me throughout my professional career. While debriefing each of our site visits, I reflected not only our activities but
on the bonds I’ve made with my group and the self-growth I achieved.