Savannah's Trip to London
Travel Portfolio
There is a vast difference between the NHS and American healthcare systems. While both have their downfalls they also have benefits as well. When it comes to the two systems they are about as opposite as could be. While American healthcare is quick it is extremely expensive and complicated due to insurance. The NHS is quite straightforward in that it is free. A few downsides to this though is extremely long wait times due to staffing shortages and the taxes paid to the NHS equals about 12% of the population's annual income. When learning about the NHS I thought it was amazing that someone could walk into a hospital and not be charged a fortune let alone anything at all! I think it's great that the government would set up free healthcare for the people of Great Britain. While healthcare in the United States is not free, the taxes paid to the system are about 6% of Americans annual household income therefore as long as someone stays relatively healthy they will be paying less. When it comes to radiography both of these systems can impact how you will interact with your patients. Due to health care being so expensive in America people are much more hesitant to come in and have a bunch of exams done. As you can see there are many differences between the two. While each one has their benefits and downfalls I think both systems are effective in what they are trying to accomplish and that is to make their people healthy.
My experience taught me many things about the NHS
Journal Entry's
Pre-trip journal (3/4/23)
- I expect for this trip to teach me a lot of new useful information. One thing that will be useful is how to navigate a new large city. Coming from the middle of no where this is a very useful tool for me to develop because I have never had to do it before. Another thing this will teach me is how to interact and respect different cultures better. I am so excited to learn many new things on this trip. :)
Sunday Journal Entry (3/5/23)
My first impression of London is that it is huge! Without my friends I would have definitely gotten lost! we drove an hour from the airport to hotel and there were buildings stacked on top of each other the whole way to the hotel! I can't imagine Indy having buildings upon buildings an hour away from downtown. That would be all the way into Greenfield maybe even Knightstown! Another thing that really surprised me was how well the tube system works! Once I figured out where I was going it seemed pretty simple and efficient when it came to hoping on the right train. It was also nice how frequently they came by which I was very surprised by. Another impression I had of London is that the food service staff isn't nearly as chipper as they are in America. Maybe that is just because we are so loud though lol. And lastly the architecture is absolutely beautiful here. Everything has so much more character here than in the states. I wonder if Europeans think America is beautiful like we do with Europe. I love it here so far and I hope to continue that trend throughout the trip.
Monday Journal Entry (3/6/23)
I saw many different things that surprised me today. Going to Birmingham City University was an amazing experience! I think what surprised me the most was how many simulation rooms they had and how nice and large they were. My favorite one to see was the OR simulation room. It really looked real and it would be very nice to have one of our own. I also was very surprised how big there x-ray room was. It was nice how everything the students needed to learn in general x-ray was in one room. I did think the collimator box on the x-ray tube did look a little strange though. Another thing that really surprised me was how positive the lecturer seemed about the NHS. It must be a really good system for someone to talk about it that positively. The last thing I want to say is that I am very grateful to have had the experience of meeting the Birmingham students. They were all very nice and I really enjoyed how our experience as students were so different yet similar.
One area of uncertainty I overcame today was navigating a large city. I was amazed at how much Piccadilly resembled New York City. While I was in New York I had lots of trouble navigating it which made me a little nervous for today. luckily I figured it all out okay and we are going out later tonight so I get to put these skills to the test even more. Also sorry my handwriting is so bad my fingers still aren't working properly from out walk/tour. Speaking of out walking tour (beside the cold) I absolutely loved. Most of the stuff he was saying was very interesting especially the part where he talked about people in the past taking bodies from graveyards so students could dissect and study the body's and anatomy. Lastly just wanted to give a shoutout to our tour guide I thought he did amazing and he seemed very passionate and proud of London.
Tuesday Journal Entry (3/7/23)
Wednesday Journal Entry (3/8/23)
Today we went to the pathology museum and zoology museum. I really enjoyed both of them. My favorite of the two was the pathology museum. I thought it was very interesting. I really liked how I saw diseases that we learned about in pathology class. The disease I first noticed without looking it up was spina bifida. Speaking of spina bifida there was a preserved fetus with spina bifida. That is definitely not something I thought I would be doing today. It is just crazy how big the collection is! It really makes me appreciate pathology and how many different things can happen to the body, I definitely will be paying more attention to patients pathology when I am with them. I really have came to appreciate pathology more now that I have gotten to see it up close and personal and I really think this tour sparked some interest in me! It is my favorite thing we have done so far!
Thursday Journal Entry (3/9/23)
Today for class we went to the london dungeons. I was not expecting for it to be scary but rather more historical (not that it wasn't I just wasn't expecting so many jump scares. When I found out it was more like a haunted house I was very uncertain because I absolutely despise them. Luckily I got through it okay and even kind of enjoyed it by the end. Personally I wouldn't go back just because I don't really like that stuff but I am definitely proud of myself for doing it. It's nice to say I have been to a "haunted house". My favorite part of it was the drop ride at the end. it was so much fun! I also think all of the actors did such a good job! It was amazing how they could switch from one place to the other in the dark without being able to be seen, The "witch" did an extraordinary job it gave me chills! I felt so bad for Katie though. All around it was a very good day and I am happy I did it!
Friday Journal Entry (3/10/23)
I can't believe today is the last day of our trip! It all happened so fast. While on this trip I learned many amazing things! My biggest take away for today was when Mrs.Marshall was talking about the term egocentric. I had absolutely no clue what this word meant. Once she pointed it out after lunch I really made an effort to look at the people around me and I noticed that it seems like everyone is a little egocentric. Everyone has certain ways they like to do things. This could apply to my job in the future in many ways. Especially when dealing with a patient from a different nationality. If I say or do something that is standard in out healthcare field and a patient gets confused I should not think "well they want it done the wrong way" but rather that they want it done a different way. I have had so many amazing take aways from this trip and it truly was a once in a lifetime experience. I am so grateful to have been able to go on this trip!
Summary of my experience
While in London I learned so many valuable lessons that I never could have learned while at home. London really helped me grow as a person. I now see cultural differences more openly than I did before. I realize that everyone has a different way of doing things, and that is okay! Just because someone does something different doesn’t mean it’s wrong but that it is a different way to approach it. I found this in many scenarios while there. From the way people drive on the street to how the whole healthcare system is run, so many things are done differently than what I am used to. While the way most things are done in Britain feel foreign to me and “not right” I have learned that it is not “the wrong way of doing things” but rather “a different way of doing them”. I feel like this is not only a very valuable life lesson but also a very valuable lesson for my future career. While I had many valuable lessons learned in London I feel that that is the most important one that I learned. I also feel that through this trip I became more aware of my surroundings. Seeing as how I have never really left home before it was nice to experience something none of my family or friends back at home had. It’s a memory that is uniquely mine to tell. I am so grateful for this experience and the valuable memories I made while on this trip. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience and I would do it all over again if I could.