Rice University logo
 
Top blue bar image Anveet's Summer in Cordoba
Just another Rice University Blogs site
 

Archive for June, 2017

Expectations for My Loewenstern Experience

Thursday, June 1st, 2017

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.