Today was the final day of spending time and learning at Birmingham City University. While I am sad that my time at BCU has come to an end, the knowledge, mentors, and students I’ve met, and the skills I’ve gained from my peers will always stick with me. Today, at the university, our group presented its research on questions developed prior to leaving for England. After collecting new material gaining new experiences from our time in Birmingham, I was excited to see how much our class had gained from our time in the UK. Without doubt, the Plus3 UK program enriched our initial research. There were four presentations made, including my own team. Each group had 15 minuets to speak on their material. Here is some of the most important takeaways I’d like to share.
The first presentation was on the topic on Mental Health Services in the UK. In this presentation, I learned what the original plan was from the political parties and how they shifted the presentation to mental health given the severity of this issue. The national healthcare system (NHS) contributed to a lot of the mental health awareness provided to suffering communities. Mental health services are free under NHS, however, certain services such as talking therapy require a referral. An alarming disparity Also within the UK, there is an alarming disparity in suicide cases according to gender and age. In terms of presentation skills, I evaluated that the individuals in this group were well spoken and knowledgeable of the information presented.
The second presentation was on the topic on public health and education, focusing on migration. The group focused their presentation on immigration, including the impact of the newly passed Brexit policy. I learned that many individuals who identify as immigrants do not know of the various resources available to them. Information rearguing race is less talked about, but these issues are prevalent. Language also puts a barrier between immigrants and them achieving their success. I found it interesting when the speaker mentioned how the US requires English proficiency, but England makes room for other languages more of a higher level of respect compared to America. In terms of presentation skills, again, I noticed how well informed the presenters were on their subject. This group shared lots of great statistical data and images allowing the audience to have a better understanding of the issue, “macho culture.” In terms of presentation skills, the group used statistics to help the audience visualize the alarming numbers of sexism between females and men. I also felt this group was very engaged with the audience.
The third presentation was on the topic on the impact of sexism in nursing and education. The original focus was inequality in wealth and income. However, the presenters changed this to sexism within the systems as they shared personal testimonies about being the only two males in the nursing/education Plus3 UK trip. I learned that the gender pay gap issue is still prevalent. While men and women are performing at the same level and working the same hours, men receive heftier pay checks. I also learned that in society men are expected to achieve higher standards, while women are respected for just trying to reach higher goals.
To conclude the night, our group went to dinner at an authentic Indian restaurant called Dilbar Restaurant. I was thrilled to know that the restaurant my friends and I had recommended in a previous conversation to faculty was chosen. Throughout the whole trip, I had really hoped to discover a savory seafood meal, and I was in luck. I ordered the seafood platter and rice. This meal had king prawn, river fish, scallops, and other delicious delicacies. It is hard to fathom this trip ending. However, I intend to fully enjoy this trip to its conclusion.
Well, that is all for today, cheers!