This past week was definitely the most productive one I have had since starting my internship. On Monday, I was able to meet the entire team for the first time over zoom. It felt great to be able to talk to people during the day rather than just over email. I now feel much more integrated into the work as I am given more repsonsibilities that can fill my time. I have been given two projects to work on in the next couple weeks alongside preparing for interviews with maternal health organizations. Firstly, I will be writing out a policy report for my organization on Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). This will involve researching how the disorder is diagnosed, treated, and understood in the EU, comparing it to the culture of the U.S. I will also be going over possibilities for changes and reform to improve the condition of individuals living with PMDD and not receiving the care they need. I’m excited for this opportunity because it is able to blend my interests in psychology with the European Institute of Women’s Health’s focus on health care. They have not done a report that heavily focuses on mental health alongside the physical so it will be interesting to be able to expand it. I will also be working on the same maternal health project I have been focusing on the past couple weeks and have been given the opportunity to write a section of the report going over firewalls in maternal healthcare for undocumented immigrants to receive healthcare. This access is being threatened in several countries as anti-immigration sentiments are on the rise worldwide. I am excited to be able to contribute to a project that aims to help these individuals and work to create universal access throughout the Euopean Union,
Dublin is much less focused on the ‘hustle culture’ that surrounds us when working in the U.S. We place so much emphasis on doing the most in the workplace to succeed, often at the expense of our personal needs and wellbeing. The culture in Ireland seems much healthier and conducive to a happier time working. The work culture allows me to fullu enjoy the work I am doing. Even in just a weekly meeting, the first fifteen or so minutes are spent talking about anything other than work. If I was working in a physical office, I could see this being more difficult to adapt to as I would be compelled to want to keep working at full speed when I think I should be. Fortunately, I have adapted to a relaxed pace that does not induce burnout.
Though it was a slow start to get up to the amount of working I want to be doing, I much prefer it to getting thrown in the deep end. It has allowed me time to get used to a new work environemtn and learn about the differences between the European Union and United States when it comes to healthcare and policy. I have had small moments where I remember the systems in place are so much different. For a brief moment, I forgot that the EU has universal healthcare which means they do not heavily rely on private healthcare insurance. When I was researching for a project, I had to backtrack when I realized their means of accessing healthcare are much more direct.
The most memorable part of my weekend was taking a day trip to visit a farm and hold lambs. Getting to the farm was a difficult trek that involved an early start with two hours of sleep, two hours on the bus, and forty minute walk. Despite the difficulty, I absolutely don’t regret it. This was one of the top items on my list that I knew I had to do while here for the summer. We first got a sheepdog demonstration where we were shown how the dogs follow commands and herd the sheep around the fields.I was surprised by how well Rex listened. His owner barely had to raise his voice to get him to follow orders from across the large field. I was also shocked to se how fast the sheep will run since they are typically depicted as an easy-going animal. I can see now how a stampede can be frightening. Afterwards it was time to head into the stalls and see the lambs who were only about two weeks old. Holding them was one of the most peaceful moments of my trip and I could have been there all day. Their soft wool and the way they leaned into being held was a moment I will never forget.
