This is me in front of the Gamla Stan, a group of classic buildings in Stockholm!
Author: Jordan Spangenberg | Major: Public Health | Semester: Summer 2022
Having the opportunity to experience the culture, beauty, and healthcare system in Sweden is something I am truly grateful for. As a public health major, I have a strong interest in different healthcare systems, and was fascinated by the strategy and effectiveness of Sweden’s system. I chose this program because of its strong history (it’s the university’s longest running program), its focus on healthcare, and the amazing faculty who ran the trip. The trip caters to students interested in any healthcare profession, and the faculty often gears experiences based on the professional interests of students. For example, I am a pre-occupational therapy student, and the trip featured many lectures from Swedish occupational therapists who broadened my perspective on the field. Through the application process, I have been able to draw from many of the experiences that I had in Sweden, which has strengthened my application. I am confident that I will be a more compassionate and competent healthcare worker as a result of the enriching experiences that I had in Sweden. I learned about insurance systems, the pros and cons of socialized healthcare, and how health outcomes indicate the quality of a healthcare system. As the next generation of healthcare workers, we have a responsibility to become knowledgeable about diverse systems in order to determine what is best for us. When planning to study abroad, I was expecting to sit in a classroom for the majority of the week taking traditional classes. However the Health Teams Abroad Trip could not be further from my preconceptions. Rather than classrooms, we participated in various study visits to healthcare facilities such as an inpatient hospital, elder care facility, and a rehabilitation hospital. This provided us with hands-on opportunities that we would not have gotten if we had taken traditional classes.
We got to eat unique foods in Sweden such as Swedish meatballs, lingonberries, and potato pancakes! We also visited many museums including the ABBA museum (where we performed alongside holograms of the band), the Viking museum, and the Vasa museum. We also went on a hike in the Swedish countryside, and stopped midway for a bonfire where we cooked our own hotdogs. There is a large university in Jonkoping, and we got to know lots of students who planned and invited us to lots of events such as a volleyball tournament and a pub crawl. We were in Stockholm during Midsummer, a holiday that is heavily celebrated in Sweden. We got to go to a traditional celebration with lots of locals and get flower crowns!
I would recommend this program to other students without reservation. I learned invaluable lessons that will impact my future career as an occupational therapist, and have strengthened my graduate school applications. I also made amazing new friends along the way! I wish I would have known that our trip group becomes like a family, so there’s no need to be nervous if you don’t know anyone. I also wish I had learned some basic phrases in Swedish to show my interest in the culture to locals. I also wish I had brought more rain gear! While I loved being abroad, I was excited to come home and take a NAP! Soaking up a new culture is invaluable but exhausting! I wouldn’t change my experience in Sweden for the world, and I recommend it to absolutely every healthcare student!