Author: Preston Spann | Major: Biology | Semester: Summer 2025

Logan Blackshire(left), me (middle), and Trevor Duke (right) standing in front of Killarney Abbey

This summer, I was fortunate enough to spend just under three weeks exploring the healthcare system, culture, and landscape of Ireland as part of the program Health Care and Social Services in Ireland. During my 17 days abroad, our group traveled by bus and train through Limerick, Galway, and Dublin, stopping at additional sites along the way.

While in Ireland, I learned a tremendous amount about the nation, its people, its food, and its healthcare system. I also discovered a great deal about myself and the other students I traveled with. Overall, this experience was an unforgettable journey that opened my eyes to a form of travel combined with intentional learning, something I had never experienced before. Whether on the streets, during site visits, or even in the pubs, we made our way through this beautiful country, picking up life lessons and valuable knowledge at every stop.

When I first entered college, I never planned to go abroad or even to cross the Atlantic. To be completely honest, the idea of being stuck on a plane for that long just sounded miserable. However, after hearing more and more from previous students and conducting some of my own research, I began to warm up to the idea. A major factor in my decision to study abroad was the ease and simplicity of traveling with University of Arkansas faculty leaders while also earning academic credit.

The program’s topic of study also played a major role in my choice to travel to Ireland. As an aspiring dentist, understanding the U.S. healthcare system and finding ways to improve it for all who use it is extremely important to me. So when the opportunity arose to study another country’s healthcare system and consider its possible impacts, I knew it was too good to pass up.

Ireland, in particular, was a great fit for several reasons. First, the language barrier was minimal, since English is the primary language. This made it easier to adapt and learn about the healthcare model. I was also drawn to Ireland for its rich culture and history. The people were welcoming, the food was incredible, and every building seemed to carry a story.

Academically, our program emphasized site visits to social service centers such as Jigsaw (a youth mental health facility), CareBright (a green house model for dementia care), and the Irish Wheelchair Association (a service provider for individuals with physical disabilities), among others. These visits were invaluable, allowing us to go beyond the classroom and witness firsthand the work being done in communities abroad. Through reflective essays and group discussions, we were able to compare these Irish service providers to the U.S. organizations we visited before leaving for Ireland.

Beyond these enriching academic experiences, we also had the opportunity to travel both as a group and independently to explore some of Ireland’s most famous landmarks and historic sites. One highlight was our class excursion to the Cliffs of Moher. Featured in films like Thor and Harry Potter, these iconic cliffs were truly breathtaking in person. The scale and beauty of the rolling hills and steep cliffside were beyond anything I could have imagined. And that was just one of many incredible landscapes we encountered in Ireland.

To anyone considering studying abroad or even just visiting Ireland, my advice is simple: do it. You won’t regret it.