Counting down the days

May 24, 2017

Deciding to study abroad was without a doubt one of the most controversial decisions I’ve made in my time here at Northeastern. As a local New Englander, I have never left the country despite one trip to Nova Scotia when I was young. With this being said, even my mom was a little shocked when I told her I may want to leave the country on a study abroad experience. When this idea first arose, I knew I wanted to embark on an experience that would offer opportunities for me to grow as a health science student. Long story short after some research on the Global Experience Office website, I knew I had found my perfect fit. Out of nowhere the Health Care, Research, and Cultural Explorations Experiences Dialogue of Civilizations strikingly caught my eye and after reading through its description page, I was instantly hooked. Despite this dialogue encompassing everything I could have asked for in a global experience, it was also being held in Edinburgh, Scotland: a place that has always been in the back of my mind to travel to one day. I immediately submitted my application, awaited my acceptance, and have been counting down the days until I can begin this journey ever since.

I expect this experience to change the way I act professionally among patients, colleagues, and professionals in a healthcare setting. While on this dialogue, we will be working with traumatic brain injury survivors and aiding in conducting research regarding their memory capabilities. With this being my first real hands-on research experience, my goal is to actively engage in every opportunity that presents itself to me. I hope to learn from the research I am assisting with, the professionals I am shadowing, as well as the patients I am working with. I expect to achieve this goal slowly throughout my time at each TBI facility with each day that passes. The more I expose myself to these settings, the more I will learn to feel comfortable with patients, professionals, and work to perform each task asked of me to the best of my abilities.

Going into this dialogue, my only fear is regret. I hope to divulge in every activity, restaurant outing, research experience, or cultural engagement opportunity I can. I know in my heart that this won’t be a problem for me however, going into this opportunity I do not want to miss out on anything. On the other hand, I am most looking forward to exploring the beautiful city of Edinburgh and hiking to see all the breathtaking scenery that I can in my free time. I love running so I know I will be able to find scenic routes around the city to embark on, but I also hope I can take the time to explore all the architecture and history Edinburgh has hidden throughout it. One month in Scotland is going to fly by and I cannot be more excited to fill each minute of my time there exploring and exposing myself to everything I could ever imagine and more.

Written By

Audrey Brigham

As a student studying health sciences, a dialogue encompassing research, cultural differences, and exploring the various fields embodying each aspect of healthcare could not have appealed to me more. My goals for this trip are to actively engage in every opportunity that presents itself to me. I hope to learn from the research I am assisting with, the professionals I am shadowing, as well as the patients I am working with. During this program, I also hope to take in all of the scenery and culture I can. Outside of school, I am the Vice President and member of the Northeastern Club Field Hockey team and am an active runner. I spend most of my time outdoors so I hope to catch some beautiful sights on my travels and runs throughout Edinburgh. I also have a passion for nutrition and cuisine so I hope to be able to indulge myself at some of the local restaurants as well. Overall, I cannot be more than grateful for the opportunity to document this experience and share everything that I can!