With only two days before I leave for Argentina, I feel I have explored only the surface of Argentine culture and healthcare. There’s still so much I have to learn! I’m overcome with excitement and a sense of wonder for the weeks to come. Here are some hopes and expectations I have for my Loewenstern experience:
I expect to be challenged. Even with my pre-trip preparation, I know navigating a foreign culture will not be easy. For nine weeks, I will be in a completely new environment, surrounded by strangers, and very far from home. By embracing the unfamiliar situations bound to come, I hope that I can grow as a person, and learn more about who I am and who I want to be.
I expect that my Spanish skills will improve dramatically, as long as I take every opportunity to speak up and immerse myself. My previous trips abroad (service and otherwise) have been to countries where English was spoken, or where I have been accompanied by my parents or a translator. In Argentina, I will be on my own, and this thought scares me a little. However, I feel ready for the challenge and excited for the opportunity to make new friendships and connections.
I expect to learn as much as I can about social medicine and the intricacies of public health outreach in Argentina. I want to be able to be fluent in the inner workings of the Argentine universal healthcare system. By allowing me to further explore a blossoming interest in global and public health, I know that this experience will help uniquely shape my journey in becoming a physician.
I expect to fail repeatedly before I achieve any level of success in my projects. I don’t expect to radically better the lives of thousands of people. I know that the impact of my service will be mostly on me. Indeed, I mainly hope to learn from my mentors, my host family, and my peers. In the end, I dream of setting in-motion a small positive change in my host community, in the spirit of the Loewenstern. These nine weeks, I intend to reflect daily and deeply on what I learn so that I can keep these lessons with me going forward, and so that I can share them with others when I return back home.