Penn Abroad Ambassador Aylin Ergin

Program:

• PGS: Health and the Healthcare System in Chile

Ask me about...

• Taking classes and speaking to people in a different language.

• Travelling to South America over winter break (and tips for Chile specifically.)

• Navigating your way around a new country.

• Finding things to do for fun in your free time and ways to explore your host country/city.

My Experience Abroad:

I took PGS: Health and the Healthcare System in Chile primarily because I want to pursue a career in the medical field. I am really interested in learning more about healthcare systems around the world and being able to identify unique aspects of each and compare them to one another and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about a healthcare system in a region I had never been to. In Chile, we visited different types of hospitals and I was able to shadow several doctors and nurses. We also took several courses relating to nursing and various health topics that I felt furthered my understanding of healthcare in general and also how it applied to the Chilean system. I hope to be able to use my knowledge and experience to better understand other healthcare systems around the world and also to work to find a way to improve our own healthcare system in the US.

Other Highlights:

• Visiting different types of hospitals (public, private, primary care, and geriatric)

• Speaking to experts in their fields to learn more about my topic regarding physical activity and obesity in Chilean children

• Exploring Santiago, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar in my free time

• Making friends with Chilean students at the host university (UANDES)

• Trying popular Chilean foods and drinks