I’ve traveled before, so landing in London wasn’t this huge overwhelming moment for me. No culture shock or anything dramatic. I simply went and grabbed my bags, figured out the Tube, and got to where I needed to be. My first picture was actually of the Underground map. I thought it was funny how much locals complain about a system that’s honestly way better than what we have back home. My favorite part of London was how livable it felt. It wasn’t some crazy exotic place, just a really cool city that I could actually see myself living in. I loved the pubs, the food, and how easy it was to get around. What I’ll miss most is probably the little things. Corner store meal deals, beans on toast, and how everyone was nice to us foreigners. The academics were the main reason I went on this trip. We spent our time visiting places like the British Heart Foundation, the Doctors Without Borders outreach center, the British Medical Association, and a bunch of hospitals. My classmates were other pre-med students and public health majors from UA. Hearing British healthcare professionals talk about their system, especially about wait times and not being able to create good relationships with their patients, made me think differently about what I want my own career to look like. The locals we met were passionate and very interested in our takes about their country. Doctors and nurses were very honest about the challenges they face. While the members of parliament we had talked to and other government officials definitely knew how to talk their way out of a question. I think there isn’t a language barrier, which also made the experience seem very comfortable and made talking to locals very easy. Getting ready to leave, no, I already know I am going to miss this place and all of the memories that my newfound friends and I have made. As I’m getting ready to pack (knowing I probably won’t have time in the next two days), I have so many things I am bringing home with me. From some empty butter beer bottles to a London hoddy and some leftover currency. I feel pretty much the same as when I arrived, just with a clearer idea of why I want to go into medicine.
