Spring Break 2025 Participant
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.
Spring Break 2023 Participant
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.
Spring Break 2025 Participant
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.
