Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

My study abroad experience was amazing! Everyone in the program, from the staff to the students, was super sweet, caring, and supportive. Augsburg University does a great job of providing students with a safe learning environment and preparing students for the cultural differences they will experience during their time abroad. I got to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds which enriched my cultural experience and being in Mexico really allowed me to practice and strengthen my Spanish skills. For being a student who is considering a career in medicine, this study abroad program was a great way of getting more healthcare experience and also seeing a different healthcare system from the US.

The program I enrolled in was a Medical Spanish and Clinical Observership in Mexico and it had two parts. The first was a Medical Spanish course and the second part was a clinical observership in a local hospital. The course gave me the vocabulary and grammar skills I needed during the observership. Overall, the course really helped prepare me for the work I would face in the hospital and taught me a bit more about the healthcare system in Mexico. In the second part, I got to observe doctors in the emergency room of a local hospital. I watched consults, wound care, and even some crashes. I saw how all the doctors and nurses worked together in the hospital. I was able to learn a lot of basic healthcare skills too. All the doctors and nurses were amazing and wanted me to learn a lot. If I was ever confused, they would clarify everything and even explain in more depth what was going on with the patient. They even explained diseases and their treatment for diseases that aren’t common to the US but are to Mexico, like dengue fever. Even the nurses at the hospital let me follow them and observe what they were doing. I could see how the work of the nurses and the doctors was different. I was really able to see a lot in the hospital and gain a lot of healthcare experience.

Besides all the schoolwork and clinical work, I also got to see a lot of Mexico. I got to go on a wide variety of excursions. We took trips to Mexico City, Tepoztlan, Puebla, Xochimilco, and many other places on the weekend. I got to go on educational excursions to learn more about traditional medical practices in Mexico. Other excursions were just to see more of Mexico. There was a lot of sight seeing, guest speakers, and shopping. I really enjoyed looking at all the different artesian crafts since I have never seen it before. It was especially cool seeing how the artesian crafts varied in the different parts of Mexico. On each excursion I got to see something different and overall, I had a very educational experience and I really learned a lot in Mexico.