Author: Abby Gifford | Major: Food Sciences | Semester: Summer 2025

World Hockey Championships, people also pictured are Lauryn Peters left and Ava Ciccarello

With my passport in hand, a ball of nerves in my stomach, and a grin from ear to ear I boarded the 8-hour and 50-minute flight that would take me from Atlanta to Amsterdam. While I still had another short plane and bus ride to take me to my final destination of Jontropinkg, Sweden, boarding this massive plane was the start of my three-week European summer. It was still hard to comprehend that this opportunity was concrete and that I was participating in the Health Teams Abroad program in Sweden! I had originally heard about this program three years before during a doctor’s appointment. My doctor and I were talking about my future goals and how I was on the premed track when she mentioned a University abroad program that was something I might want to look into. Throughout the start of college, I was familiar with the basics of this trip and recognized it as an opportunity I wanted to explore further. I am a Food Science major with a minor in biology and as my sophomore year was starting I knew I needed to dive a little deeper and find out more about this program if it was something I was serious about. The more research I did the more I felt drawn to the course, and that it was something I needed to do. As a future physician, I loved the focus on healthcare systems and how much I would learn about the environment I would be working in. Additionally, I really liked the holistic and immersive approach this program focused on when comparing the American and Swedish healthcare systems. Oh, how exciting this trip was going to be!

Rolling over to turn off my alarm and check the weather, I prepare for another chilly but exciting day exploring the Swedish healthcare system. Typical days here in Jontroping have started with the delicious hotel breakfast, complete with freshly baked sourdough, brie, cappuccinos, and all the other goodies. Not only are the breakfasts delicious but it’s also been a wonderful time for all of us to socialize and work on assignments. Our assignments are a few questions generally requiring knowledge from the lectures we have attended or our site visits. With each assignment, there has also been a comparison portion to shift our thinking to look at the similarities and differences between the U.S. and Sweden. I have enjoyed our coursework here and feel like it has fostered a deeper understanding of how these healthcare systems operate and has encouraged further examination of societal values. Notably, our upcoming final project is something I am looking forward to as it mimics a healthcare team’s approach to caring for a patient in both the U.S. and Sweden. I feel like this project is quite applicable to all of our future professions and is great practice looking at the similarities and differences in how a patient would be treated in both of these countries. I love how much I am learning on this trip and can’t believe it’s halfway over.

I was pretty sad to leave Jontroping and worried that with the business and grandeur of Stockholm, the friendships built would be strained, however, that has proved to be so far from the truth. Last night was easily one of the most thrilling nights of my life! Our whole group was able to attend the Hockey World Championships in which the U.S. played against Sweden and to top it off we won. We were able to score third-row seats and made an appearance on national television cheering on the U.S. team. While this was by far the coolest activity I have ever done, we have had so many fun leisure experiences that I will forever treasure. For instance, we rode a ferry over to Visingso Island and biked about 10 miles around the island and got to explore a cave, old-time candy shops, and a church. Also during this excavation, we ate at a local restaurant on the island, which has been my favorite food thus far. Another exciting day was when a group of us decided to wake up early and explore the Stockholm cafe scene. We found an adorable coffee shop with amazing cardamom buns. This was such a fun adventure and a great way to spend a relaxing morning. I could go on and on about all the amazing moments from the trip but these were a few of my favorites and solidified that I have made some new friends for life. I am so fortunate that I have been able to take part in this amazing opportunity and experience it alongside this great group of people. I have truly learned so much and can’t wait to be a healthcare provider with these fantastic individuals. Sweden will forever hold a piece of my heart and I am so grateful for all of the memories made here.