Hike day at Cliffs of Moher
Author: Kerri McClanahan | Major: Human Nutrition and Dietetics | Semester: Summer 2023
My name is Kerri McClanahan and during the Summer of 2023 I had the privilege of studying abroad in Ireland! We spent three weeks moving throughout the country, spending a majority of our time in Limerick, Galway, and Dublin. The title of our program was Health Care and Social Services in Ireland, and we focused on comparing those services to the United States. My specific area of study is human nutrition and dietetics and I am a junior this year.
Visiting Ireland has always been a dream of mine because my great grandparents came to the U.S. from Ireland. I never anticipated having the opportunity to study abroad, but once I saw that this program was available, I knew that I wanted to make it happen. I browsed other program options, but this one continued to stand out with the place I wanted to go and what best fit my interests. It highlighted many areas that I am interested in potentially pursuing. I plan to become a Registered Dietitian, which could include working in clinical or community populations. I think it is important to be exposed to different areas of work and see which ones you feel the most passionate about.
This program allowed me to do that in a unique environment. Rather than attending traditional classes, we participated in site visits where explored many different areas of public health and social work. We discussed these visits as a group with our professors during pre-brief and post-brief discussions. Some of the visits that stood out to me were visiting The Irish Wheelchair Association, the diabetes clinic at University of Galway, and a Limerick homeless center. The main purpose of our visits was to compare the services we visited in Ireland to similar places in the United States. For one of our pre-departure assignments, we visited 7hills Homeless Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. We then went on to tour a similar facility in Limerick, Ireland to understand some of the similarities and differences between the two. We also discussed differences in health care opportunities in our two countries, with Ireland offering free health care. With one of our lecturers we discussed some of the positives and negatives of this system. The visit that I enjoyed the most was visiting the diabetes clinic at the University Hospital. We got to hear from multiple speakers about type one diabetes in Ireland and the role they play in assisting the community. It was great to have diabetes education from a new perspective. Each of these visits were impactful in different ways and taught me so much that will benefit me moving forward.
The cultural experiences are part of what makes study abroad so incredible. As a group, we ate a medieval dinner inside the Bunratty Castle and it was incredible! We got a small taste of what it might be like to live in a castle during those times. We also got to hike the famous Cliffs of Moher and the Howth Cliff Hike, which were both breathtaking. In Dublin we spent time looking at the beautiful art in the National Gallery of Ireland. But of course my favorite of all was trying all of the new foods Ireland had to offer. Some of my favorites were the fish and chips and of course the endless coffee and tea! Each of these unique experiences are part of what made the trip so memorable!
I would highly recommend the program I went on if you are studying anything related to health or social work. While my major was not specifically noted in the program, there was still so much value in what I learned. Moving forward in a career in dietetics, both of these areas of study are still extremely applicable. If you are thinking about studying abroad, my two biggest pieces of advice are to plan ahead and to budget. Make sure you have the proper amount of time to research the kind of program that is right for you. The longer you know about your trip, the more time you have to prepare mentally and physically for your time abroad. You also should have a clear understanding of the cost of the program, but also the daily costs you will have while abroad. If I did it over again, I would set out a more clear budget of how much I had to spend. Luckily, the office of study abroad is there to help students and prepare them as much as possible before they leave.
Studying abroad was truly a life changing experience. It exposed me to a new culture while also teaching me so much about nutrition, social work, and public health. Ireland is such a beautiful place and I am so grateful for my time there. Cheers!