Today, we took a bus to visit one of the Obras Sociales, Medife! They were located in a very nice building, and even had tea for us which helped with the sickness that the chilliness of Buenos Aires gave me. Dr. Florencia Ledesma led the discussion, and provided us with all the information about Ase Obras Social, which provides services for professionals and their families in the formal sector. They do not directly have hospitals, but they still provide insurance to their constituents through contracted hospitals, such as Swiss Medical. Medife falls under the jurisdiction of Ase, almost making it like subsidiary of it. Following the lecture, we got to take in their views from their amazing twelth floor balcony, which offered views all the way to the obilisk!

Shortly after lunch, we made our way to the ICBA, a private clinic fusing on cardiac care. It was a very nice hospital, and actually a very calming one. Before touring, we got to learn a little bit more about the mission of the hospital. We learned that this is one of the world renowned centers for cardiovascular care, attracting people from all over the world. An interesting fact was that most of the surgeons here actually got the residency in the United States, with Cleveland Clinic being one of the main centers of inspiration for their mission. Once we got to touring the hospital, it was fairly empty as it was the end of the day, and they aimed to make patients stay in the hospital for as little as possible. One of the waiting rooms literally looked like an airport lounge and the cathlab had mood lighting, so it quickly became known that they prioritize the comfort of their patients during the (hopefully short) duration of their stay. We actually got to talk to one of the doctors in the hospital where she emphasized the culture of the hospital being one of the best things about it. In the United States, it is typically a well known phenomenon that doctors are notoriously stressed and exhausted, while she emphasized the fact that she constantly laughs here and considers her colleagues best friends and family.

Our final stop of the day was MALBA, or the Latin American Museum of Modern Art. We first got to stop in the coffee shop, where I bought the world’s most overpriced bottle of water from a can! Then we got to explore the museum. We learned a lot about Frida Kahlo, as she was the main exhibition in the museum, although one of her painting recently took a trip to Venice. We also learned that the entire museum is actually a collection from one very wealthy man, who built this museum to display his artifacts. I will say, I do not really understand modern art most of the time, but still there was some cool pieces. One very cool piece was a collection of blankets decorated by people staying in a psych ward for 50 years! After a quick trip to the gift shop to buy my mom an amazing modern vase for Mother’s Day, it was time to head home. Another fulfilling day and I cannot wait for the next.