We began our second week at our clinical sites today, which started promptly at 8 am and lasted until 1 pm. Some of us walked to a cafe after to grab lunch before heading to the university for class at 3 pm. The discussion of today’s class was mainly focused on comparing Spain’s health care system to the United States’. Something we talked about is how Spain’s health care has changed since regulations were implemented in 2012. Until then, their country had universal health care, but now it is only guaranteed to certain populations. Some of these populations include pediatrics, prenatal and severe emergency cases. I found this interesting because I thought that Spain and most of Europe had universal health care but it seems that Spain is moving towards a more restricted system.
After class, our group took a hospital visit to Reus. Built in 2010, this hospital is relatively new and has many high tech equipment that is used to help carry out daily tasks. The most interesting thing I witnessed, was the assembly of robots that are engineered to carry medicine, meals and other various materials to patients and medical personnel. That doctor that gave us the tour explained that these robots are programmed to load the materials and have special elevators that carry them to their designated floor. I couldn’t help but be in awe; I had never seen anything like it in my entire life. It made me wonder what other technological advances have been created in the field of medicine and whether robots will become the normal for hospitals in the future.
Returning home from the tour, our group stopped for a snack before heading to our host families. We tried a new restaurant called Fries and Fries, which was probably the most American place I’ve eaten at since coming to Catalonia. The menu consisted solely of fries, but had over 20 flavor options for the sauces. It was delicious. The food here is incredible, but it was nice to have a taste of home. With happy hearts and a full stomachs, we headed home to conclude the day.
Until next time,
Emily Borkowski