Study Abroad

During the Fall 2024 semester, I embarked on a journey to Cordoba, Argentina and little did I know that it would be one of the greatest decisions and adventures I had taken during my college career. You may be asking why Argentina when you could have gone to Spain, but the choice was very simple to me. Being a first generation college student and third generation Cuban American, as a kid I fell in love with Central and South America, and always seeked for opportunities to learn more about my heritage and cultural roots. I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, fully immerse myself in a new culture and lifestyle, and choose the path few people travel on. But what truly drew me in was getting the opportunity to live with a host family who either spoke little to no English, diving head first to accomplish my goal of putting myself in someone else’s shoes.

 

My study abroad cohort left in the beginning of July and returned back in the beginning of December, and during those 5 months I learned and gained such a deeper appreciation for not only global health but for the Spanish language as well. In the first few weeks many of us found ourselves having a hard time adjusting to not just the time zone change but also trying to find a daily routine. We had gone from experiencing the nice hot summer heat before leaving the United States, to the middle of winter when arriving in Argentina. Thank goodness for my host mom, Irene, because I don’t know how I would have survived the first 2 weeks without her. Irene had been hosting university students for close to 15 years and knew exactly what I was experiencing. She talked about her family and their traditions as we shared mate and galletas at the dinner table. Irene reminded me a lot of my grandmother, who was born in Cuba, which made adjusting to living with someone new a tad easier. She felt familiar, the piece of home I needed for the 5 months I was there, so conversations were fun, comforting, and I knew I could go to her for anything and she would be there. She showed me the local grocery store, shopping mall, cafe, how to use public transportation (el colectivo) and what stops to get off for certain locations. There was lots of exploring together in the first two weeks, which made asking questions about the cultural and social differences I noticed a lot easier and it was nice to have a locals perspective. The grocery stores in Cordoba were extremely different compared to those in the US, they had less variety of products and sold mostly dry goods as most go to either local fruit and vegetable stands or a butcher to get their fresh produce and meats for the week. It made cooking an adventure, constantly trying to find the right ingredients or getting creative when they didn't carry that product. 

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Every business and restaurant in the city of Cordoba and Argentina closed from 1pm to about 4pm for “siesta”, a short nap after lunch and a “midday rest”, before reopening to the public. At first my cohort and I were confused at why everything opened so much later, as most places did not reopen until 5pm to 7pm, which is when most people decide to go home in the United States if they went out for dinner. This helped explain why Argentines ate dinner anywhere from 8pm to 11pm, and then proceeded to whatever after plans they had. This also ties into why their nightlife is so different from the United States nightlife. Argentina culture highlights the importance of family bonds and friendships, and it is very evident with how they interact with people, almost always being friendly and inviting to whoever they cross paths with. Because of this, it is socially normal to go out with friends to a bar or a club in Argentina and be out until breakfast the next morning. Being able to adapt and live like our host families was such an incredible experience, gaining a deeper appreciation and perspective of life outside of the United States, which truly helped me immerse myself further into their culture.

 

When the program officially started I started to find my daily routine of taking the bus or walking to campus, grabbing a tea and a criollo (a type of biscuit), and reviewing course material with my classmates before class began. I found that in Argentina the pace of life is slower compared to the go go go nature of americans. I preferred the class structure while in Argentina as they focused on essays rather than exams. This helped me devote my full attention to the lectures and made me enjoy the classes because I wasn’t stressed or worried about upcoming exams, and I got to showcase my knowledge of the concepts we were learning through my own perspective and understanding. One of my favorite papers I wrote while abroad was in my history class, where we selected one historical event within a Latin American country and explained the relevance it had on that particular country and their citizens. Typically I am not a huge history fanatic but the professor, Profe Jose, was dedicated to us finding the importance of not just historical events but also the people who lived through and experienced those events. Not only did having this particular structure allow me to better conceptualize course concepts but it also allowed me to meet the required internship hours I needed.  

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When I was not shadowing the pediatrician during my internship I assisted the nurses with patient charting, organized the clinic pharmacy, and worked with the administration team to help log procedures into the national health system as well as help with the clinic's budget. Every time I walked into the clinic it was always something new, keeping me on my toes and constantly adding new vocabulary and perspectives. Being able to not only shadow but practice patient care with some of the patients is something I’ll forever be grateful for. Anytime I was able to be hands-on with a patient taking vitals, or even having conversations with the parents of the patient I felt honored to be trusted to care for them. There were 2 impactful experiences in the clinic that truly changed my perspective of working in a clinical setting. The first experience was when I was shadowing the OBGYN, helping record a pregnant patient's medical history and asking if her or her partner has AIDS/HIV or if they’ve ever been tested for it. I forget that not everyone has the privilege of getting health education that includes learning about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and how to protect yourself, and seeing such a young mother answering these questions like they’re a normal everyday occurrence made me stop and assess the major difference within womens and maternity health. Another experience was with a 1 and a half year old patient and being able to perform a physical examination following the pediatricians guidance for one of their well child check ups, which was the first time I had ever been able to be hands on with a patient. I also got to experience their healthcare system when one of my old injuries started to become a problem during the middle of the program. I went to one of their semi-private hospitals with our program director, and got to witness how they prioritized the level of urgency/care a patient needed, how consultations with doctors are organized, and how each level within the hospital held certain specialties. Through this experience and the experiences within the clinic I was able to see the differences between the healthcare system models used within Argentina and the United States.

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Through the experiences and relationships I formed during my time abroad, I am incredibly grateful for each and every individual I encountered. These individuals broadened my respect for their culture and also allowed me to fully immerse myself in their lifestyle and language. I am inspired to continue serving communities like the ones I did while working in the local health clinic in Cordoba, and know for certain that rural and global health will forever and always be my passion. The lessons I learned in and outside of the classroom abroad have been life changing, and I truly will never take for granted the privileges and opportunities I have while living in the United States.