Hello! My name is Jahnavi Kotapati, and I am a rising junior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Public Health and Economics on the pre-medical track. I hope to become a doctor one day, and I have always been interested in understanding how healthcare can look different across communities and around the world. Studying…
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Bye Wyoming
Over the past three weeks in Wyoming, I’ve learned a lot of lessons that I know will help the next three years of my academic journey at Pitt and my future as a physician. The first was learned by conducting ethnographic observation in the town of Laramie, Wyoming. Ethnographic observation is a common practice in…
Hold Your Horses!
After spending two weeks in Wyoming, I had noticed some cultural differences from Pennsylvania, my home state, but I didn’t think I would ever be shocked by anything that went on. It was, after all, still the U.S., and it was a state I had been in before. I felt prepared and excited to learn…
Learning from Lisbon: a Reflection
Like all good things, my time in Lisbon must come to an end, however, I’m not ready to say goodbye. I think through having an internship, I was able to integrate into the “daily Portuguese life” making finally leaving feel like I am leaving home. Now in Campo Pequeno, where my residence was, I’m a…
A Day at the Rodeo!
Bright and early on Wednesday morning we made the long trek to Cheyenne, a town about an hour from Laramie, Wyoming. We were about to embark on a fascinating adventure filled with cowboys, horses, bulls, and applause. We were heading to the rodeo at Cheyenne’s Frontier Day, one of the most anticipated activities we would…
Time with Family in Poland
For my first week in Poland, I spent my time in the northern seaside city of Gdynia, where my aunt, uncle, and cousin currently live. It was definitely difficult trying to communicate with my uncle, who speaks only Polish. However, I was very happy with my ability to hold conversations with him after taking Polish…
Josh in Suriname
My name is Joshua Tamakloe, I am a rising senior and a Public Health major on the pre-med track. I chose the Public Health Threats in Suriname study abroad program to get an immense experience towards tackling public health issues in other countries. Often times we talk about how we as future public health professionals…
Cowboy Hat Hierarchy
Upon getting off the bus and walking into Cheyenne Frontier Days (One of the largest rodeo events in the United States), I was struck by the apparent lack of cowboy hats, as I expected to encounter a sea of them immediately. However, my expectations were soon met, as after leaving the carnival ride area, hats…
Kiro’s Exploration in Athens and more!
My time abroad in Athens, Greece was both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. I went into the program knowing very minimal Greek and not knowing any of the other participants in the program. Despite this, I had one of the best experiences of not only college, but my entire life. I remember arriving…
How My Host Culture Defines Success
One of the biggest lessons I have learned during my international internship has been that success can be defined very differently depending on the culture you are working in. Before coming abroad, I had certain expectations about what it meant to be a successful intern based on my previous work experiences in the United States….