Today was our last day in Argentina and it was a bittersweet time. These past two weeks have been so much fun and its been a trip I will never forget. From the 12 hour delay in the airport two weeks ago to returning home today, our group has become great friends and experienced so much together. Going abroad for the first time was very cool because I learned so much about the Argentine culture, ate an unholy amount of steak, and saw so many amazing places. Whether for two weeks or a year, I would recommend that everyone studies abroad to get out of their comfort zone and experience a culture that is completely foreign.

While experiencing a new place and culture was very fun, I also learned a lot academically on this trip. One of the biggest things I learned was the complex structure of Obras Sociales (Unions) and how money and healthcare is delivered by them. At first, it was complex to understand because they are not setup like anything in the United States so there was no comparable healthcare body. However, after receiving lectures from Daniel Leversztein and Flor Ledesema who are leaders in their respective unions, they simplified it so the system made sense and was interesting. One of the most helpful conversations we had was when they said to view Obras Sociales as intermediaries of money. This simplified version of the system made it easier for my group to present and made the whole system seem more accessible. Also, the hospital visits were very informative to my view of the healthcare system and were a practical aspect of the trip. One thing that surprised me most was the difference between public and private hospitals. In our pre-departure meetings, Dr. Gabriel Novick told us about the disparity but I did not think it would be that large. Public systems clearly lacked enough funding for the massive amount of demand and private hospitals were focused on the monetary side of healthcare and that was clear in the quality of hospital and facility but the demand was much lower for them.

After this trip, I now understand why spending time in another country can make you become fluent in the language quickly. Being surrounded by Spanish everywhere we went, having to order in Spanish, talking to locals, and getting taxis were just some ways that forced me to use some of the Spanish skills I have learned. I enjoyed this aspect of the trip very much as I am trying to become fluent in Spanish.

Thank you to Grant, Julie, and IES for an amazing first experience abroad. The trip was educational but we also had time to explore the city and have so much fun. Hasta Luego Buenos Aires!