The Uppsala Linnaeus Gardens

My name is Mattie Berry, and I am a Biology and Psychology Pre-PA student in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. This summer, I studied abroad in Sweden. When mentioned, most people think of Sweden’s capital city, Stockholm. While this area was truly amazing and very rich with Swedish culture, it felt modern up against the rolling green hills and vast flower fields I’ve always associated with this country. I longed to see a bit more of the historically “Swedish” scenery, which is one reason I was interested in this specific program to begin with. This is why I am so glad I found myself in Jönköping, a town about 4 hours west from Stockholm. This is where the bulk of the studies took place on our three-week long Health Teams Abroad program.

During my time in Jönköping, I developed a working knowledge of the healthcare system in Sweden: how it is structured, the various services offered, and the equitable nature of the system. To list a few of the academic experiences we had: we sat in classes about mandatory reporting with Swedish nursing students, we listened to personal stories of how Sweden’s healthcare system has impacted its citizens, and we toured primary care clinics and nursing homes, getting to talk to and interact with healthcare professionals along the way.

All of these experiences made me feel very immersed in the culture. In general, I felt that I learned a lot of facts about Sweden’s healthcare system and how it is structured. However, I like to say that this program gave me much more than that. I felt a complete change in perspective as I went through these classes. It is one thing to read a book and memorize information about an area. To place oneself in that area, however, makes a much more significant impact. Coming out of this trip, I feel as though I had lived there for months. This is thanks to the fully encompassing nature of this program.

The Visingo flower fields

Outside of the various academic experiences the trip provided, there was quite a big emphasis on cultural exploration as well. I think my favorite experience was a day trip the whole group took to a small island on the lake Jönköping sits on. This island, Visingö, had that true Swedish countryside feel I was hoping to find. When we got to the island, they gave each of us a bike to explore on. Around the island, we passed by quaint cottages, castle ruins, and fields full of yellow flowers as far as the eye could see. I remember thinking in those moments how no photograph or video could ever come close to seeing such sights with your own eyes.

This is why I am so thankful I got to go on this trip. Some of the experiences you have and things you see will never be able to be recreated. It’s not something you can look online at and be satisfied. Studying abroad has given me experiences I would not have been able to have otherwise. This is why I think that every student should study abroad if given the chance. It isn’t just a vacation or a school trip: it’s a perspective change.