I recently returned from the most incredible experience of my life, and would strongly recommend pursuing a similar opportunity to anyone looking to broaden their horizons! I studied abroad this past summer for seven weeks in Santiago Chile with the IES Abroad Health Studies program. I stayed with a host mother and one roommate in an apartment in the heart of the city, and attended classes at la Universidad Católica, a local university, in their nursing school. This program gave me the opportunity to take classes on a weekly basis informing me with respect to the healthcare system in Chile as well as equipping me with the vocabulary and linguistic proficiency that will be necessary in my future career as a multilingual healthcare professional. My plan is to be a physician, proficient in at least four languages, in order to provide exceptional care to as many patients as possible. In the United States, there is a growing population of Spanish speakers, so my hope was to achieve a degree of proficiency sufficient to navigate all situations without having to pause due to lack of fluency.
This program went above and beyond my expectations! Throughout the course of the program, I was able to learn vocabulary in the classroom, and then apply it throughout my observations in local hospitals and clinics. We participated in activities to familiarize ourselves with the subject matter and vocabulary including debates, essays, and panel discussions with professionals. If there was any doubt in my mind with regards to whether or not I had achieved the level of proficiency I initially desired through this program, I had the opportunity to navigate the healthcare system myself when I fell ill in the final week of my travels. Thanks to my studies over the course of the program, I was able to successfully schedule and navigate an appointment with the physician and obtain antibiotics without any problems with respect to the language barrier. The language barrier, in effect, was no longer a barrier.
In addition to the well-designed course layout of the program, the experience allowed sufficient extended weekends such that I was able to travel around the country and experience the culture and landscapes unique to Chile. I took a trip to Pichilemu, where I rode a horse on a beach and took a surfing lesson in the same day. I traveled to Cajón del Maipo, where I trekked in the mountains and went zip lining high over a river. In a final trip, I went with a large contingent of our group up north to the Atacama Desert, where I enjoyed biking in the desert, exploring ancient ruins, crawling through caves, and bathing in hot springs. I had so many life-changing experiences, which awakened in me the desire for adventure. I returned home eager to embark on my next adventure, as inspired by a poster above the door of a local university: "¡Tú también puedes aprender Chino Mandarín!"
Now undaunted in my studies of language and culture, I plan to continue to broaden my horizons, and would encourage anyone considering a similar path to do the same! I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities afforded by IES Abroad and their staff, and hope someday to travel back and visit the city that helped shape who I am today.
