Submitted by Skylar DiBerardinis on the 2019 winter session program in Athens, Greece sponsored by the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences…
As the first week of my study abroad in Athens, Greece comes to a close, I have already learned so much about this amazing country. Not only have I learned about the history of Greece, I have also
learned a tremendous amount about their healthcare system and how it differs from the United States. As a future healthcare professional, I have been able to expand my knowledge on how hospitals in Greece operate in comparison to those in America. The biggest difference so far is that they operate on a government-funded public healthcare system. Because their economy is poor, they often times do not have the resources to provide high-quality care. This was very shocking to me, as I have worked in U.S. hospitals and the practices are very different.
Outside of class, we have had the amazing opportunity to visit some of the most famous ruins in the world. The pictures below are from Delphi, also known as the location of the Temple of Apollo and the legendary oracle. When we walked up to the ruins, I was astonished because I had never seen something like this before. Greek history is so rich and so well preserved. One thing I was not expecting when we visited the ruins were the number of stray cats that lived there. Despite being strays, they are clearly used to humans and loved the attention. As tourists, we wanted to give them attention, but the locals do not feel the same. They are so used to these strays that they treat them how we would treat squirrels in the United States.
Overall, I am loving every second of my study abroad experience and cannot wait to see what the next two weeks bring!
