If you thought this trip was filled with enough universities, think again! Today we we traveled over to Matanza to visit Universidad de la Matanza and their local public hospital. The two-floor hospital was divided into inpatient care on the first floor and outpatient care on the second. It was clear that there are funding issues within the public sector of Argentina as the building was not heated on what would be considered a cold day. The hospital had mentioned that they are undergoing renovations, causing some parts to be closed off. I was surprised to hear that this hospital had a mental health wing, whereas the other hospitals we visited did not. We were able to talk to students who told us that because their university does not own, nor is affiliated with any particular hospital, they do their rotations at the public hospital. 

Following our hospital visit, we were able to take a tour and hear a brief lecture at Universidad de la Matanza. The campus here is much more condensed than Pitt, as they are not a city school. They also had a large theatre where students can watch popular films and where musicals from the city visit on tour. Also differing from Pitt, the school had a smaller library connected to indoor basketball and boxing courts. We learned that while many universities in Argentina do not have collegiate-level sports, La Matanza does. In fact, they are the best in the nation in regards to their athleticism. We were able to see students participate in a stimulation very similar to the ones we have at Pitt. While both Pitt and La Matanza are public universities, La Matanza is free whereas Pitt is not. Further there is a mandatory entrance exam specifically for La Matanza while in the US we have the general SATs that some colleges do not require. 

Following our educational morning, we finished off our day with a “graffiti” tour of Palermo. While it is called a graffiti tour, we instead were looking at street art, something different from the big bubble letters of graffiti as it is more artistically inclined and is done in contract with the owner of the building. We were able to see pieces meaningful to the owners of the building, about their children, and even about loved ones stolen from government regimes of the past. Overall, it was clear the importance of art in the culture of Argentina. Now it is time to eat sleep and repeat! See you tomorrow.