Expanded Perspectives

Author: 
Emma Mahally, Comparative Healthcare in Graz Summer 2022

Studying abroad has influenced many of my goals. Some goals I want to accomplish initially from studying abroad include learning more in depth about the European healthcare and insurance systems and healthcare delivery, so that I can have the knowledge to be open minded and have diverse ideas regarding global and public health as a future physician making decisions one day. Also, I hope to compare the strengths and weaknesses of both American and European healthcare. I plan to reach these goals by paying attention in lectures as we progress through the content and also by continuing to note cultural differences between Austria and the USA, relating to the public and health in particular. I also hope to gain more knowledge and awareness of Austrian culture to obtain a thorough analysis of Austria. 
Personally, I also want to explore authentic Austrian cuisine. I also want to accomplish finding a balance in the study abroad program of being able to comfortably study and learn the information and gain knowledge while also being able to experience the beautiful places and locations we visit! I believe that this will provide me with a greater sense of independence and ability to function as an adult/ student in the “real world.”
            After experiencing my study abroad, I have definitely grown from this program and accomplished many of my initial goals. It was great to meet my 13 peers on this program and create close friendships and unforgettable shared memories. I also am proud to have accomplished navigating a new country, including transportation and some itineraries, as well as Austrian culture and some German language. I also maintained an appropriate balance of exploration and studying, such as group studying at the park with my friends or on the train back from our weekend trips. I have learned so much on this program. I enjoyed our history lesson about Austrian culture and grew more excited when further expanding my knowledge at museums we went to. I also got a first hand look at healthcare in Austria and Slovenia, as we got to visit many different institutions such as the hospital, homeless shelter that provides medical treatment and the first hospice for the homeless in the world, disability support, refugee care, and more. I also enjoyed learning about their insurance system and how they set their pharmaceutical drugs prices. This further dive into learning about healthcare systems is very beneficial and important to me as a Pre-Medical student at Pitt and future physician, where I can discuss my experiences and varieties of healthcare delivery. Having the opportunity to visit other states of Austria outside of Styria (Graz) and Salzburg, such as Vienna and Carinthia helped to further my understanding of the country and culture as a whole. 
The unique experiences and insight I gained during this program has helped me open my eyes to the world of healthcare more, enabling me to further confirm my passion for the medical field. I hope I can share my experiences of my study abroad with other students in the healthcare field, and I would definitely recommend this study abroad program! The knowledge I’ve gained has also allowed me to think about the benefits and issues with different types of healthcare systems as a future physician, as there is not a perfect healthcare system. I also believe that the experiences of learning and witnessing various organizations to support minority groups such as refugees, homeless, and disabled patients will help me bring these significant issues in the healthcare system to focus and help me advocate for my patients in the future. I am so grateful to have gained so much knowledge, experience, and extraordinary memories on this unique Comparative Healthcare in Graz study abroad program!

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