Hello! My name is Michael Keller, and I am a rising junior with a major in Biochemistry, minors in Chemistry and Hispanic Language and Culture, and a certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. During the month of July, I will be participating in the Pitt in Spain study abroad program at the University of Alcalá in Madrid, Spain.
The Pitt in Spain study abroad program lasts for a period of four weeks. It consists of my involvement in two classes for a total of six credits of coursework. Among the many course options offered, I chose to enroll in Medical Translation and Peninsular Literature. Alongside these two courses, the program involves several day trips, such as a tour of Madrid, a visit to the Reina Sofia Museum, and a visit to Segovia.
This program is of interest to me because of my personal connection to the Spanish language. Since I was in kindergarten, I have taken Spanish classes. I continued to take Spanish classes throughout elementary, middle, and high school. In high school, I was able to expand my usage of the Spanish language after starting to work at my local McDonald’s; in this environment, I was exposed to several colleagues who were completely fluent in Spanish. As a result, I was forced to apply my knowledge of Spanish to the real-world. This application of Spanish eclipsed my current passion for the Spanish language and its associated cultures.
The Pitt in Spain study abroad program will allow me to pursue my passion for Hispanic language and culture. For one, this program provides the opportunity to practice Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country. I am particularly eager to expand my vocabulary, improve my accent, and increase my confidence when speaking, reading, and writing in the Spanish language. On top of this, I can’t wait to embrace the beauty of Hispanic food, dance, music, and more while briefly living and studying in Madrid, Spain.
On top of this, the Pitt in Spain program coincides greatly with the pre-med journey. Furthering my mastery of the Spanish language will be essential to fostering communication between myself and my future Spanish-speaking patients. By taking the Medical Translation course, for example, I will be able to learn medicine-related Spanish vocabulary. As an aspiring medical professional, this will be key to my goal to expand the field of medicine to those that need it, such as the Spanish-speaking population of the United States.
As I near my departure for the Pitt in Spain program in July, I am growing evermore nervous, yet excited. This is the first time I will be traveling outside of the United States; the thought of adjusting to a new time zone, a new culture, and a new environment gives me butterflies, but I know it will be for the best. Overall, I am extremely thankful to have the opportunity to travel abroad with the purpose of furthering my education and honing my connection to the world at large.
I look forward to sharing more information related to my experiences in the Pitt in Spain program. Until then, I will continue to brush up on my Spanish, as well as further conduct research about Spain to guide my transition to its social, political, and environmental atmosphere.