Biomedical Sciences and Public Health in Italy : Reviews (Florence)

This trip was truly liberating, educating, and an absolute blast! I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the nooks and crannies of Italy daily, interweaving both the academic review of Italy's healthcare system and the cultural appreciation of the arts, foods, and simple societal practices of the country. I am incredibly grateful for all the institutions that hosted us, especially Caritas Rome and Meyer Children's Hospital in Florence. Both sites were on the top of my list for this study abroad, each one presenting unique takes on the Italian healthcare system in ways that were appealing to my career aspirations. Caritas provided a look at immigrant healthcare and how their fully volunteer-based service provides help for those who are unable to find access to the national Italian healthcare system. Julia, the director of the establishment, demonstrated true selflessness and a genuine drive to improve the lives of those from underrepresented and impoverished backgrounds. Meyer Children's Hospital offered a look at pediatrics in Italy and how the entirety of their institute is dedicated to improving the healthcare quality for children through offering benefits such as laundry, meals, schooling, and even 24-hour parental accompaniment for inpatients. Knowing that practitioners in Italy are not being paid nearly as much as U.S. practitioners demonstrates that those who have taken their jobs have done so out of genuine motivation to help people, which was incredibly refreshing for me.

My favorite part of the program was getting to talk personally with healthcare professionals abroad and see how their culture and beliefs influenced their profession.

My favorite part of this program was visiting so many once-in-a-lifetime sites in just a week's time, while still learning about the topics I find most interesting.

I found the visits to the various agencies and hospitals to be the most rewarding as they were the informative part of this study abroad, and they allowed me to have a better understanding of the Italian healthcare system, alongside their goals and values.

Finally being able to fly to another country and experience an entirely new culture and their way of advocating for public health and livelihood was more rewarding than I ever initially imagined. I believe I was able to better appreciate this trip because I paid for it entirely by myself with the help of the scholarships I had also earned through hard work. I had a very challenging year, facing obstacles and issues that had a strong impact on my ability to succeed, focus, and grow academically. It is safe to say that I greatly enjoyed being able to escape to a foreign country where all I had to do was immerse myself in the surrounding culture and learn about their health education, health systems, and health policies (all of which I find fascinating). I felt that I had a changing experience while abroad, feeling more awake and ready to battle my festering problems upon returning to the United States. What else was rewarding? Being met with all sorts of new connections and resources regarding academics and healthcare abroad, which in turn makes me more competitive regarding medical school, research, and job applications. Oh! Another reward? All of the friends I had made on this trip! I met different students in my program from all sorts of different backgrounds, majors, ages, etc. Each one of them added a unique spark to our adventures abroad and I truly enjoyed how inclusive, kind, and excited each and every participant was.

I felt the most rewarding part of this program was getting to safely spread your adult wings somewhere completely different than what you are used to, without having to be completely alone abroad.

Do research into the Italian government and their taxes in order to be able to fully understand how universal healthcare is paid for. Additionally, be able to compare public vs private healthcare in Italy before going so that while you are there you can ask more about the opinions of the healthcare professionals you interact with rather than having them give you a history lesson.

I learned that being confident and bargaining with shopkeepers is very helpful when purchasing items because they tend to say a price that they think they could get away with from tourists.

I'm not quite sure if this applies to future KU students or future study-abroad students, so I will answer both! For future KU students, I strongly encourage looking into a study abroad experience. As someone coming from a background of poverty, this merely seemed to be a dream that I most likely could never achieve. Do not lose hope! KU offers a large variety of resources and financial aid to make these dreams become a reality, and while the application process is long and takes a lot of effort, it all becomes incredibly worth it once you set foot in the country you are set to study in. Simply expanding your horizons both academically and culturally is one of the best ways to become more knowledgeable and experienced in your field of choice, and in addition, it is so much fun! For future study abroad students, I cannot express enough how important it is to read into the culture and society you plan to visit and be aware of any shocks that may come. For Italy specifically, I definitely wish I had put even more effort into learning at least conversational phrases. While the people at your institutions may be forgiving, that does not always translate to the public. Additionally, Italians are very quiet people! If you speak at a normal American volume level, you absolutely will be stared at. That being said, just out of respect, read up on your country of choice and be prepared for even the smallest things! Oh! Definitely do not take it for granted either. While eating at McDonald's may be enticing, I strongly encourage challenging yourself to not eat anywhere or anything you can normally find in the States. Try shopping outside tourist traps, support local businesses, and visit as many museums and sites as possible, no matter how tired you are! Jet lag is rough, but you will regret taking that nap as soon as you step foot back into the States. I promise.

Talk to anyone and everyone! Take the long way and take wrong turns on purpose. Leaving the beaten path and striking up conversations with strangers made for the most memorable parts.

Never be afraid to take the leap into the unknown. Often times people don't study abroad in fear of being alone or not having the funds, but they should know that your study abroad peers become family during the trip, and their are so many resources out there to aid those in funding study abroad.