Visit to the Swedish Royal Palace

Author: John Mitchell | Major: Animal Science | Semester: Summer 2023

Being sufficiently informed about healthcare is the key to being an exemplary healthcare provider. Too often, health care providers focus only on advancements in their own countries, without looking to other nations to find guidance and inspiration on improving our healthcare system. For my first study abroad experience, I wanted to experience and study in a country with a vastly different healthcare system than our own. I found the program that perfectly fit my interest in Health Teams Abroad: Sweden. The program was a 3-week faculty-led program that studies healthcare in Sweden and allows students like myself to compare and contrast the United States and Swedish healthcare systems. I was instantly attracted to the program for one reason: Sweden has a universal healthcare system, meaning I would be stepping into a world of medicine I had never seen or experienced.

My time in Sweden was shared between the cities of Jonokoping and Stockholm. We spent our first two weeks at Jonokoping, splitting our time in class between studying at Jonokoping University and making on-site visits. In class at Jonokoping University, we learned how the Swedish healthcare system operates from an analytical perspective, about patient costs, the government management of the healthcare system, and how the Swedish tax system affects the healthcare system. This is the major difference between the U.S. and Swedish health systems.  Patients in Sweden pay very little for their medical care throughout the country, meaning patients can receive high-level care without suffering major financial burdens. The cost of healthcare is instead borne by taxpayers, with citizens paying a higher percentage of taxes than in the U.S. Everyone in Sweden has access to high-level healthcare, whether they are in the highest or lowest tax bracket.

We made many on-site visits throughout Jonokoping, traveling to hospitals, private and public care clinics, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, and a habilitation center. A common theme we observed in every facility was a desire among healthcare professionals to help patients and ensure that every patient leaves the facility in better condition than when they arrived. Site visits were my personal favorite part of our studies, as they allowed me to see the healthcare system in action. This impacted me personally as a pre-medical student. I now have a much better understanding of how a Universal Healthcare system works, as well as an understanding that different cultures view health care very differently. It is important, as future healthcare providers, to learn that these differences between cultures can improve the level of care we provide in the future.

My final week of study abroad was spent in Stockholm studying Swedish culture. Traveling in June, we got to experience Midsummer, a Swedish festival of life and love that is often viewed as important, if not more important, than Christmas. We interacted with many Swedish citizens and gained an understanding of how they view their own healthcare system and the United States. These interactions allowed me to gain perspective of home and to consider the bias that permeates our daily lives. We ate Swedish food delicacies, including their world-famous meatballs as well as Swedish fika, a break in the day for coffee and pastries. Additionally, we immersed ourselves in the healthy lifestyle of a Swede by going biking, kayaking, and hiking in the scenic Swedish countryside. These provided some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. As a special treat, we had the opportunity to go to The Weeknd concert in Stockholm.

My first study abroad experience showed me a new side of healthcare that I had never experienced, and opened my eyes to a diverse culture and way of life different from my own. I would recommend HTA: Sweden to any student looking for a career in the medical field seeking a new perspective on healthcare. My advice for students planning to attend any study abroad experince, including HTA, is to fully lean into the experience. The only way to get the full experience and the most out of your studies is to fully immerse yourself in the culture of your host country. Plunging into Swedish culture with my fellow students was the only way I was able to fully appreciate my study abroad experience in Sweden.