As I have completed my amazing study abroad program, I would like to sum up my experience. I participated in a Pitt Panther Program called Comparative Healthcare in Graz. It was a 5 week program, with 4 weeks spent in Graz, Austria, and the final week in Maribor, Slovenia. We also had weekend trips in…

Dear Emma,  Congratulations on experiencing your first ever study abroad program! It was the first time you were a student studying in a country you have never been to before- Austria! If someone asked you years ago, you would never have guessed that you would be abroad in Austria and Slovenia, surrounded by great peers…

If I had the opportunity to become a full-time resident in Austria, I would want to live near the University of Graz and the Main Congress Square. There is a pedestrian cobblestreet road with a hill that is in between these two locations to live, along with many restaurants nearby.  I really enjoyed this area…

As I reflect on my time studying abroad in Graz, Austria with Pitt’s Comparative Healthcare program, the biggest challenge I faced was the language barrier. The official language in Austria is German, and I had no previous experience with the German language prior to the study abroad program. Although we did learn introductory phrases on…

As I reflect on my first part of my study abroad experience in Graz, Austria, here are my 3 key takeaways.  To begin with, I have grown very comfortable in my new city of Graz. It is the second largest city in Austria. Although I slightly struggled with directionality at times, I eventually got accustomed…

*due to poor wifi connection for the second part of my trip, I am posting the remainder of blogs at home in the US* Greetings from Graz! I just returned from our weekend trip to Vienna, where I explored huge palaces and museums.  As I move into my last week in Graz before traveling to…

I just completed my second week in Austria. I got back from my fun excursions during our free weekend with some of my peers. We traveled to other parts of Austria outside of Graz, such as day trips to Admont in the countryside to see the largest monastery library in the world, as well as…

Hallo! My first week in Graz has been packed with making new friends on the program, meeting European students, pursuing great health based and historical opportunities to learn about Austrian culture, and of course trying the great food, from the original secret Sacher cake to the classic schnitzel.  For the next 4 weeks of the…

Hello everyone!  My name is Emma Mahally, and I am a rising junior at the University of Pittsburgh and am part of the Honors College. I am a Biological Sciences major on the Pre-Med track, and also am pursuing the Global Health certificate.  Some of my favorite hobbies that I pursue throughout my semesters include…