For the first three weeks during our Comparative Healthcare program, we spent time exploring our home base of Graz. During the weekdays we participated in many different hospital tours, presentations, interactive exercises, and culturally immersive activities to get to know our city.

To begin our healthcare-focused activities, the goal was to dive right in to learning about the city of Graz and its inhabitants. On our very first morning there we had a walking tour around our neighborhood and the highlights of the surrounding areas. We walked all the way to the medical university and got to see some of LKH and observe the physical differences in the hospital campus to typical American ones. We found they prioritized open space and airflow, intertwining greenery and nature into their medical settings. Over the course of the three weeks, we also toured the Elisabethinen hospital and Red Cross as well as health clinics including the Gesundheits-drehscheibe health hub, which helps people without primary doctors or perhaps without insurance to find care. Many of the site visits were support systems for specific groups of people. The Vinizidorf is a shelter for unhoused people, specifically those with an addiction to alcohol or other substances who need more structured support without judgement. The Marienambulanz is an interesting clinic that provides health services to those without coverage as well as shelter during the day for unhoused people. Many disability resource centers exist for those who need specific aid and education, including Mosaik which we visited in our third week. In America there are no more campuses/boarding school settings for people with disabilities, as it was declared isolating to people with disabilities. However, Austria successfully uses these settings to allow for education and therapy highly tailored to the needs of its students and inhabitants, teaching them as much as possible and eventually leading them into jobs and everyday life interactions.

The cultural experiences we participated in surrounded understanding interpersonal interactions and traditions. In our class lectures, we learned some basic German as well as words and phrases specific to Austria (and even more specific to Styria). Trying to incorporate little phrases into our daily interactions was surely a challenge but a lot of fun. Another crucial and fun element to understanding culture is the food! Some of my favorite memories from the trip were meals all together, getting to know the local cuisine. On our field trip we ate lunch at a buschenschank, which is like a farm to table experience where something like 80% of the food in the meal comes straight from the farm on site. The food was absolutely amazing, filled with fresh vegetables, cheese, and meats. I also loved our farewell meal where we tried an assortment of schnitzel, chicken, salads, tzatziki, and beans that were all delicious.

Although we had a special fondness for Graz, our weekend trips were also super fun. For each trip we began as a group with one or two guided activities, then had the rest of the time to ourselves to explore wherever we might feel inclined to. Our first weekend we visited Salzburg within the Austrian Alps. We began with our museum tour getting to know the royal history of the city. Throughout the rest of the weekend, we did lots of walking around and checking out shops, as well as finding any and all viewpoints to soak up the Alps. On Sunday we all went to the top of Unterburg for an unbelievable summit from which we could see the spanning mountain range as well as the border into Slovenia. Our second weekend was a free weekend so I went to Venice with another group of girls and got to see a little snippet of gorgeous Italy! Our third and final weekend in Austria was in Vienna, which I absolutely loved. We started with a presentation at the chamber of pharmacy and got to discuss some of the differences in medical access and distribution between the US and Austria. The rest of the weekend we spent strolling around the city, visiting the many many historical landmarks and museums, and drinking lots of coffee. I especially loved the Albertina art museum and Hofburg Palace grounds. Of course, my favorite by far was Schonnbrunn Palace and the zoo. After our weekend in Vienna, our next stop is the final destination: Slovenia!