Hello! My name is Megan, and I’ll be calling Stockholm, Sweden home in just a couple weeks! I’m from West Chester, Pennsylvania, and I’m a junior at Pitt studying Rehabilitation Science on the pre-PA track with a minor in French and a certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. My DIS program lines up perfectly with my academic and professional interests, because my core course studies Precision Medicine, a new medical model that tailors treatment to individual patients based on their physiological make-up. It allows me to learn more about the daily activities of my future career while also introducing me to an innovative shift in healthcare that incorporates genomics and proteomics along with physiological characteristics and environment to provide the most personalized care possible. I have always loved biology, so being able to incorporate genomics and proteomics into case studies of diagnosing and treating patients is what drew me to this program. I’m also excited for my medical simulation lab, where I’ll be able to learn and practice important clinical skills that I’ll need in my future.

I love that DIS is located in Scandinavia. They have two locations – Copenhagen and Stockholm. Both are extremely beautiful and clean cities with lots of opportunities to get involved locally and to travel around the country and Europe as a whole! I chose to study abroad in Stockholm for a few reasons. Professionally, Sweden is a very health-conscious country, so I would love to see the culture and healthcare system firsthand. Culturally, I come from Swedish heritage and want to feel more connected to the traditions my family still carries on. Personally, Sweden is a progressive country, and it’s important to consider a country’s social attitudes alongside your personal identities or beliefs when planning to live abroad. This is especially important to me because, as a future professional in the healthcare field, I hope to be culturally aware and welcoming to all patients.

Outside of school, I love to travel and explore new places. In high school, I was able to apply my studies in French to an exchange program, where I lived and traveled with a French host family for a few weeks. It was an incredible experience, and it motivated me to expand my cultural horizons further in college. Because I’m only experienced in English and French, I was lucky to find the perfect program in a country that is mostly fluent in English, however I’ll also be taking a beginner-level Swedish Language & Culture course to help me immerse myself in my new city. I’m really grateful that DIS offers these language and culture courses, and I’m looking forward to putting my knowledge to use so I can truly feel at home in Stockholm.

I cannot wait to visit the ABBA museum, find new coffee shops, try some authentic Swedish food, travel with friends, and learn the public transport system well enough to do all those things! Wish me luck, and stay posted for more blogs and photos!