We had another bright and early morning with breakfast before heading to another hospital tour. We started with a presentation that gave a brief history and overview of the hospital. It was really interesting to hear more about the differences between our healthcare systems. One of the nurses mentioned that she had lived in the United States for five years. During that time, she had a surgical procedure done, and the healthcare professionals seemed more concerned about her insurance and the cost. In Spain, the healthcare system is very different. Because it is publicly funded, nurses tend to focus more on patient care rather than financial concerns.

After the presentation, we began our tour of Hospital Basurto. The hospital is divided into different pavilions, each dedicated to a specific specialty, and they are all connected by underground tunnels. This design is really unique and especially helpful during poor weather conditions. We got to see the ICU, pediatric ER, neonatal unit, microbiology labs, and the engineering unit.

One thing I found especially interesting was that their ICU is often closed because they don’t have a large overflow of patients. It typically opens during peak virus seasons, like in the winter, but otherwise remains mostly unused. In the United States, I feel like that would never be possible. Hospital beds are almost always full, and there is rarely extra space. I was also really surprised by the engineering unit. I had never fully considered how much engineers contribute to the operation of a hospital and how essential they are behind the scenes. Even though some of it was confusing to me, it was definitely interesting to learn about. This visit gave me a completely different perspective on healthcare.

After the tour, we headed back to the School of Engineering for lunch. While we were there, we looked at an ongoing student project. We got to see a car that students were building and hear some background about the competition they were preparing for. After that, we went to the Guggenheim Museum. The building itself has such a unique design, and inside there were so many art pieces and exhibits to explore. Before heading back to the hotel, I grabbed some coffee and sweets from the café inside. Today was such a great day, and I can’t wait for tomorrow!