Servus everyone! My name is Nina. I am a senior Biochemistry major, pursuing a Global Health Certificate on the Pre Physician Assistant Track. I just came back from a riveting adventure in Austria on Pitt’s Comparative Healthcare in Graz study abroad program. My series of blogs will serve as my reflection on this trip as I reminisce through my camera roll.

I chose this program because for my future aspirations I want to spread equitable and effective healthcare to the most vulnerable populations around the world. With many countries in central Europe having a public healthcare system , I wanted to travel to these countries and see why it might or might not work, how the government manages this system, and if the citizens enjoy it. I did not come into this experience with any prior biases because I really wanted to enter this experience with as open of a mind as possible so as to not cloud anything I may see. What I had hoped to learn from this trip was a deeper understanding of medicine as a whole and how all of its compartments can contribute into the bigger picture of a patients health, gain ideas about how healthcare can become more accessible to everybody, and experience a new culture as this is my first time abroad ever!

Immediately, I noticed the differing idea of what a city is. The city of Graz was incredibly walkable, biker friendly, and focused on public transportation rather than cars.The people of Austria heavily rely on public transportation and that is seen in how the city is built and functions. There are easily accessible public transportation that are reliable and reach every part of the city. They also have signs at each stop that the arrival times in minutes, which I thought was really cool. The buses and trams quiet, reserved, and so clean. They mostly have standing space and seats are prioritized for those with special circumstances (disabled, elderly, pregnant, etc.). The city was made for people to enjoy! It was also fascinating because the houses that one would typically think of being historical/rural in America make up the entire city in Austria . There is a heavy focus on keeping the city clean with people constantly cleaning the streets by hand and machine. These aspects contrast Pittsburgh’s infrastructure. In the city of Pittsburgh, you can notice the focus on individual transportation rather than a focus on public transportation. This is evident in the cities design–four lane roads, removing bus lanes, and biker lanes on the sidewalks rather than roads. Continuing, Pittsburgh’s public transportation system is unreliable, which is a direct effect of the inefficient infrastructure and is mediated by the separate bus lanes. I think that more of an effort should be put into public infrastructure in cities in America with inspiration from European countries, as accessible and reliable transportation is essential to a functioning city/modern civilization.

The first week in Austria was fun and jam packed. It was a lot of learning about the city, its history, and learning how to navigate. But, my group and I quickly adapted. In this week, we visited several castles and churches, a homeless shelter, a pharmacy, a museum, and Salzburg! It was interesting learning about how healthcare functions in it’s culture and understand the citizen’s perception of it. Everyone was so happy to contribute to the public healthcare system, and a saying that I heard multiple people say is, “I don’t mind contributing to it because it works.” It was a very refreshing sentence to hear! Also, we learned a little bit of German to help us navigate and communicate, which helped immensely.

I can’t wait to continue on this journey with you all as I scroll through my camera roll!