Last day! This is simply a wrap up post to discuss a few of the things I learned while studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina! I’ll begin with my presentation topic of the private system, which you must have insurance in order to utilize. These hospitals tended to be much cleaner and more organized than the public hospitals, often discussing in their presentations that they strive to provide the best possible care to those who go there. The major players of the private system include Austral hospital, Sanatorio Mater Dei clinic, and Clínica Bazterrica. All of their overall environments were very calm and efficient, with comfortable patient rooms and very personalized services. They also had access to newer technologies, in which the public hospitals did not yet have access. An important theme of our trip was the fact that the healthcare system here is very complicated. 

I also learned many interesting facts about the origin of Argentina. The goal of the Argentine government in the beginning was to convince people to permanently move to Argentina, instead of simply coming over to make money and then returning to their country of origin. So, they had to create some incentives for the people, one of which included free healthcare. Another interesting fact I learned is that the name Argentina comes from the Latin word for silver: argentum. There was much silver found in Argentina, and there is even a river called Río de la Plata, meaning River of Silver in Spanish. 

Further, I discovered that the people here are very kind, as I had very good interactions with the locals. I was able to use the Spanish I have learned in the past in a real setting, realizing much about the uses of different words that previously confused me, such as when to use “perdón,” “permiso,” “lo siento,” or “disculpe.” They all technically mean the same thing, but are supposed to be used in different contexts. “Perdón” is to be used when I am standing in the way of something or in the wrong, “permiso” is used when I am asking someone to move out of the way because they are standing in a bad location, “lo siento” is a general apology for when I want to tell someone that I am sorry for something I said or did, and “discuple” simply means excuse me. 

I also learned that the people living here tend to stay awake into the early hours of the morning, with dinner typically beginning around 9pm and going for a very long time. Service was very slow everywhere we went, and we often were not able to go to bed until almost midnight after eating out with everyone. As a result, I had to learn to function on very little sleep during this trip, as the group would then have to wake up very early the next day to visit hospitals, museums, attend tours, or go on cultural visits to nearby neighborhoods. 

Overall, this was an amazing trip and I am so grateful for the opportunity to travel abroad and study the Argentine healthcare system! Our group was so amazing and I absolutely loved spending time with everyone and exploring Buenos Aires!