Today was our third day in Birmingham, yet again we started our day bright and early. We walked to BCU’s City South campus and before we began classes, we were able to get Starbucks. I got a strawberry acai refresher and unlike in America it actually tasted natural. Then, we went into the lecture room where we had four classes. The first class we had was mainly about the general healthcare in the UK and benefits of their public healthcare. This lecture was given by a woman named Alicia and she also brought up the health inequalities that they face in the UK which I also notice in the US. We then got to do an activity where we were given a situation such as a measles outbreak for example and what we would do to encourage vaccinations and help public health. I thought that this activity was engaging, and it was nice to work together to think of different ways we thought would workout.
Then, went out for a quick lunch at their cafeteria. Today I got an egg salad sandwich and a brownie. The brownie tasted almost identical to a Cosmic brownie, so it gets a high rating in my book. After lunch we headed back to the lecture room for our class on mental health nursing. This was an interesting subject to me because I have never heard of a nurse specializing in mental health. This lecture was given by a mental health nurse named Johnathan who shared a lot of information about the history of Birmingham and the UK as a whole. He also brought up an author who specializes in mental health and had a different perspective where society should not be viewing individuals with mental disorders as ill because medications like antidepressants are not treatments but rather temporary solutions. I thought this was a great concept because in the US individuals throw around the term mentally ill as if it is an actual disease.
Next, we had a lecture on what Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is and why it still remains a current major problem. I had actually never heard of FGM prior to this lecture so when I was explained exactly what it is and showed images my jaw dropped to the floor. I feel like it is a problem that is not talked about as much anymore in the US. After, we had our final lecture on HIV and sexual health nursing. This discussion was done by a nurse named Andrea who specializes in HIV. She explained the stigma around it and told us various stories of patients she has had who have gone through this and how they were able to practically go back to a normal life.
By around five we finished up with all of our classes and headed to the hotel to drop off our things before heading over to dinner. This dinner was held at an up-scale restaurant organized by BCU where we got to have a meal with professors, students, and graduates of the university. This was a great opportunity to ask questions about to BCU students or recent graduates to learn not only more about their field but about the UK and the ways it differs from the US. I really enjoyed talking to two of the girls from the university and had a wonderful dessert to end off the night. All in all, today was not only extremely educational, but it also ended in a memorable way. I am excited to see what tomorrow has in store and get an extra hour to sleep in!
