Hike in Howth

Author: Abbie Brien | Major: Psychology

Before studying abroad, I researched programs that would integrate all aspects of health. I wanted to truly learn and observe how a country operates as a whole, not just in medical facilities. This program caught my attention because it captures what a holistic view of health is: something that blends together how social work leads into healthcare. From the description, I determined that this was the right program for me because of its focus on learning all aspects of Ireland’s culture with an emphasis on healthcare. In addition, from emailing with my instructors beforehand I felt that it would be a supportive environment and allow me to embrace culture in a safe way. With the program’s unusual length, about three weeks, we were able to get a good taste of culture but also balance enough time in the U.S for summer jobs or internships.

This program advanced my academic and professional goals through its emphasis on holistic care. From speaking with social workers in Ireland, we saw a glimpse into how interconnected healthcare is with other social aspects. For example, children at risk of abuse must be referred by doctors to a social work program, and children who need medical attention are referred to doctors. This system cannot function well without thorough communication and understanding with respect for what each system does. Classes differed from those at University of Arkansas because it was much more hands-on learning, which uniquely shaped our time in Ireland. We learned through observation, conversations, and experiences. Our assignments mostly involved in-depth reflections on those experiences and how they impacted us as students and future healthcare or social work professionals. Instead of listening to lectures and taking tests, we gained valuable insight into culture while learning for our classes, which was incredibly helpful and interesting.

Culturally, Irish people were very friendly towards tourists and Americans. We felt welcomed by the people there and had many impactful conversations. For example, during one interaction I asked an Irish person what their belief of Americans was, and they said that Americans typically know less about other cultures while other countries know a great deal about Americans. This conversation was eye-opening and sparked me to pay more attention to detail and take initiative in my learning in Ireland. In addition, I learned that the food in Ireland is much less processed in contrast to the U.S, and they even ban many ingredients that we typically use.

In general, I would recommend this program to other students if they have a particular interest in social work as well as healthcare. Students must be interested in how a country functions as a whole, not just the medical system. I wish I had known that days would be long and filled with meetings, so it was important to get enough sleep and eat regularly. For me and other students on the trip as well, the first thing we did when we got home was eat Mexican food! Irish food is good, it just doesn’t have a huge variety. Overall though I greatly enjoyed my time there and I’m sure other students would too.