I never expected to have loved an experience such as this one as much as I did. Initially, I did not expect to become such close friends with everyone on this trip and to have made such unforgettable memories. This program was probably the busiest 2 weeks of my entire life and I would not…
Day 10 – Nearing the End
On our last education day we learned about the private payers sector and Ministries of Health sector of the Argentina Health System. We learned about some of the roles of being a director in the MOH and how it is different from working from a provincial standpoint. If you hold a Director National position, you…
Day 9 – Día de Aprendizaje
Today we walked to an Austral University building to learn about Private Payers and NGOs. The director of OMINT briefly described the Argentine health system before going into detail about the PHC. There are 3 different PHC plans and multiple different types of companies. The regulatory frameworks of PHC includes the coverage of medical services,…
Day 8 – Flotando a Uruguay
We went to another country today! I was so excited to get to go to two countries on this trip and was really looking forward to seeing how Colonia was different than the areas I’ve seen in Argentina so far. We all woke up early in the morning to take a large boat over…
Day 7 – Importancia de Perón
First thing this morning we had a walking tour through Buenos Aires. We stopped at various buildings and important monuments and learned about the history behind them. Our final stop on the tour was the cemetery where Evita Perón rests. It was interesting to see all the different graves and crypts and learn some more…
Day 6: Hospitales Privados
We started off by driving a few minutes to Recoleta to a private hospital. We sat and talked to physicians and other people that ran the hospital there. This hospital was, in my opinion, the nicest hospital we have visited so far. The amenities were high end, the rooms were private and looked like newer…
Goodbye Buenos Aires
It is hard to believe that our time in Buenos Aires has already come to an end. These past two weeks went by incredibly fast, and it feels like we just arrived unsure of what to expect. On our final day, we listened to everyone’s presentations reflecting on what we had learned throughout the trip….
Adios to Buenos Aires
I’m so sad to be leaving Buenos Aires and all the memories I made here. This has been such a fun experience, especially as my first experience in a foreign country. I’ve loved meeting all the people in the program, both the nursing majors and the business majors, and I know I’ll always think back…
Day 10 – Last Learning Day
Argentina’s federal structure creates a distinctive situation for Buenos Aires, which is split between two separate jurisdictions with independent health authorities: CABA, an autonomous district with its own government, and the province of Buenos Aires, a separate entity that surrounds it and contains roughly 17 million people. CABA manages its own dense network of public…
Goodbye Buenos Aires
As my time in Argentina winds down, I can honestly say this is an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Over the past two weeks, I’ve learned more than I ever expected especially since I am a business major learning about a field, I was so unfamiliar with before. From lectures and…
Day 5: Medicina en La Matanza
Today we took a visit to another public hospital. This university hospital is located in the municipality Matanza. We first had an informative meeting with the director of the hospital. He spoke about the many challenges with having a hospital in an impoverished area with a high population and owned by the province. As we…
Blog 3: Trabajo en Tigre
This morning we started the day on the Tigre river. We took a boat to a Public Primary Care center in rural Tigre and got a tour of the clinic and emergency ambulance boat. The Primary Care building had an outdoor and small indoor waiting area. The inside had a few small consultaríos and a…
Day 2: Prosperidad en Pilar y Amabilidad de Austral
Today we visited a private university hospital and a public primary clinic in Pilar. At the Tomas Reggio Primary Health Center, we listened to a detailed history of the clinic from one of the sisters got a detailed tour of the building. There were multiple check-up rooms and designated rooms for pharmaceuticals, dental and OBGYN…
Day 1: Primero Día en Buenos Aires!
Hola Argentina! After days of preparation and hours of traveling, we finally arrived in Buenos Aires. As we were flying over Argentina below the clouds, the terrain did not look much different to me than the United States. However, as we drove from the airport to our hotel, the city looked much different compared to…
Final Reflections – When Moments Become Something More
Looking back on the trip, the moment I keep returning to is our free day in Salzburg when a group of us took pictures together by the Alps and in the street. At the time it felt like a simple pause in a busy day, but now it stands out as one of the most…
Day 15: The Hardest Goodbye and the Long Journey Home
Today I feel mostly sad to be leaving Augsburg, probably about 75% sad and 25% excited to go home. I am tired and I miss my bed, but overall I am not ready for the trip to end. Saying goodbye to the German students was really hard, and leaving Augsburg felt more emotional than expected….
Day 14: Wandering Salzburg like a postcard came to life
For our free day, most of us decided to take a trip to Salzburg, Austria. Since we were already traveling through Germany, it felt like an easy and exciting opportunity to visit another country. A lot of us also wanted to see the famous “Sound of Music” scenery and experience Salzburg’s natural beauty. Planning the…
Day 13: Bridging Experiences Across Bavaria and Presenting Our Work
After almost ten days of visiting factories, historic cities, a royal castle, and a concentration camp, this day was about bringing everything together for our presentations. Since my visit to MAN came later in the trip, I had already done some initial research before arriving, but I did not really know what to expect until…
Day 12: Inside Audi
Today we visited Audi. With Audi and BMW being close competitors, it was interesting to see how similarly they are responding to industry pressures like electrification, global competition, supply chain challenges, and the overall shift toward electric vehicles. During the Audi factory tour, I noticed many similarities to BMW, especially in the structured production lines…
Day 11: Computers, Chocolates, and Cobblestone Streets
Today started with a visit to Aumovio, located in a larger business park alongside other companies like Siemens. The setting already felt different from the earlier factory visits on this trip because everything was more clustered and industrial, almost like one connected ecosystem of companies working side by side. We started with a short presentation about the company before going on…