Welcome to my last post! While I am sad my time abroad is over, I have come back with new knowledge, many unforgettable memories, and some new friends! This experience has been eye opening, allowing me to develop professionally, personally, and academically. From the beginning, I was nervous to be abroad, away from my family and friends, and put myself outside my comfort zone. However, it turns out that by putting myself out there, I met so many wonderful people along the way. In my group, I got to meet students from all over the states, who taught me so much about their diverse cultures and perspectives. From dinners to outside program activities, I made friends with Austrians and learned how they live their everyday life. I even picked up some German along the way! Our group tours showed me first hand how the Austrian healthcare system works and how providers, doctors, and nurses interact with their communities. One example was Vinzidorf, a place where the homeless can go and live for a small expense. Many places like this have alcoholics and the goal is to make sure they not only have a place to live, but are able to take care of themselves.

The knowledge I have acquired from my mentor, Prof. Orin James, and the tours he had led us on have allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of social determinants of health. This includes education, race, sexuality, zip code, and socioeconomic status. While learning healthcare in other countries, it was key to remember that no healthcare system is the best. The goal is to understand how their respective history and societies influence their healthcare systems.

Social determinants of health affect individuals in ways many don’t think about. In Graz, the public transportation goes to the medical hospital, making it easy access for those who may not have a car or live farther out. This is just one example of how Austria is overcoming challenges regarding access to healthcare. In the future, my goal is to make sure future policies and legislation in regards to healthcare take into account social determinants of health factors such as race, sexuality, education, transportation, safe food, etc. to allow for greater access.

The program Comparative Healthcare in Graz has been eye opening and what I have learned will continue to carry with me no matter what I pursue. I would like to thank Orin James for an unforgettable experience and my donor for helping me make this experience possible. Be sure to keep an eye out as I am almost done coding my website on my experience abroad and will be presenting my capstone on this program in the spring.