In order to form a comparison between the two systems of healthcare we had an 8-week class which met once per week at the U of A. We would have lectures over our healthcare system, insurance, and other things, as well as going on study visits to different hospitals and clinics around the Northwest Arkansas area. Once in Sweden, we again had lectures, but this time from a Swedish perspective, and went on study visits to both a public and private health clinic, an elderly care facility, a rehabilitation ward in a hospital, and a medical school. From these learning experiences, I was able to from a very good comparison of the two systems.
While in Sweden, I was also able to learn about the culture and different interesting things about the country. Some interesting things that I didn’t expect were how almost everywhere only has unisex restrooms. There were very few businesses, restaurants, or buildings on the campus that had differentiated bathrooms. Each toilet also had two flush buttons, one that used a very small amount of water to flush and one that used a significantly larger amount. Additionally, every shower I encountered was completely open to the rest of the bathroom. This meant that water would flow under the shower curtain and get everywhere in the bathroom. Each shower had a squeegee in it, and once we were done showering, we had to squeegee down the entire bathroom before leaving.
Something unexpected about the county in general was how warm it was. The average temperature where we were staying for the month of June is 69 degrees Fahrenheit. But while we were here, there were multiple days in the mid-80s. The entire time we were here, we didn’t find anywhere that had air condition, as its normally not needed for the cold winters and mild summers, which led to some very rough days trying to escape the heat. The culture was also very inclusive. Nearly everyone we encountered spoke English at least fairly well, and once they realized that those of us on the trip spoke English, would even switch to English in mid-sentence so that we could understand what was going on.
I was also able to participate in multiple cultural events while abroad. One of which was a lawn party in a park on the University Campus, where we were able to participate in a traditional Swedish dance. A pole was set up in the middle of the park, and we all danced around in it in a circle, pretending to be small frogs. I was also able to go to a large market that was set up in downtown Jonkoping. There were numerous vendors and carnival rides set up for multiple blocks. We were also able to watch the Stockholm marathon, as it went right by the boat hostel we were staying in (pictured above).
One of the best experiences with the culture was the food. I was able to try many new dishes, including authentic Swedish meatballs, and reindeer pasta. They also had a very popular local dish that consisted of steak and potatoes prepared in multiple different ways.
This study abroad experience was truly incredible, and I would encourage everyone to study abroad
at least once, as it enables so much learning to be done in a way different than lectures in a classroom.
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Austin spent the summer 2018 term in Sweden with our U of A Faculty-Led: Health Teams Abroad in Sweden with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship and the Fulbright Honors: Sturgis Study Abroad Grant.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
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Austin spent the summer 2018 term in Sweden with our U of A Faculty-Led: Health Teams Abroad in Sweden with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship and the Fulbright Honors: Sturgis Study Abroad Grant.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
