Hey everyone! We just got back from a very long and eventful day. We started the day bright and early by visiting Sanatorio de los Arcos, a private clinic here in Buenos Aires. There, we met with Dr. Gabriel Novick, chief medical director of the Swiss Medical Group, which is one of the largest private healthcare providers in Argentina. We also received lectures from Dr. Luis Gimenez and Dr. Jorge Lantos who then gave us a hospital tour of Sanatorio de los Arcos. To end off the day, we received a lecture from Professor Grant Martsolf on Advanced Practice Nursing in the United States. 

The first lecture, given by Dr. Novick, was basically an introduction to the healthcare system in Argentina, specifically how it functions, its benefits, and main challenges. He began to use the analogy of “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley.  Although I will admit, the system is extremely complex, Gabriel presented us with several analogies and metaphors that made it easier for me to understand. In one of his analogies, he even mentioned how Frankenstein was the best representation for the healthcare system in Argentina. 

The Frankenstein monster is a fictional character created by writer Mary Shelley. In the novel, the monster is created by sewing different pieces together. As a result, it is grotesque and horrifying looking with unsymmetrical features. This well-known character can be compared to Argentina’s complex and fragmented healthcare system. Specifically, the health care system here is made up of three large sectors: public, private, and obras sociales. Each sector has its own policy and regulations as they provide different ranges of coverage. The lack of integration between these subsystems is largely responsible for significant inequities in access to healthcare, with those who cannot afford private care often facing significant barriers to receiving timely and appropriate treatment. So, just as different parts are used to make up Frankenstein’s creation, all of Argentina’s sectors play an important role for the overall healthcare system. Although the pieces are not perfect, they all come together for one common, bigger purpose. We can say that this relates to the sewing of Frankensteins body. 

Overall, I learned so much about Argentina’s healthcare system today. Specifically, from Dr. Novick’s lecture where he touched upon some very useful information on the private sector which I will definitely be referring back to for our final presentation. I am really grateful for this opportunity and excited to learn more about the Argentine healthcare these next few weeks!