Exchange report - incoming students
Home university: Saint Louis University
Study programme: Physiotherapy
Exchange programme: INK
Semester: Spring semester 2009/2010

Arrival and registration

I was suprised that the school had arranged someone to pick us up from the metro and take us to our student housing.  It was something I had not expected and was nice because we did not have to worry about trying to find our way with all our luggage after our plane landed.  Our student contact was very helpful.  He gave us a quick tour of Stockholm and told us all the things he thought we should see. Our appointment with student health and introduction day were all arranged to be on the same day which was nice.  Everything was easy to find on the Huddinge Campus and we had no problems getting anywhere.  SInce we were not taking any actual classes online the head of the program gave us a tour of the program's building and talked to us about how their schooling system worked.  It was nice to compare our home program to the program here and to see where we would fit into their program.  Overall arrival at KI was nothing to worry about.  Everything they arranged for our arrival went smoothly.

Acommendation

We applied for housing through the UAC and ended up at Pax.  Having lived in student housing in the US I did not expect much.  I was pleasantly surprised with the size of the room and all the furnishings. 

Leisure time and social activities

I did not participate in any social programmes since I was here for such a short stay and not on either of KI's campuses.  I had no problem making Swedish friends but the friends that I made for the most part were not associated with the university. 

Pre-departure

The reason why I choose to go on this exchange opportunity is due to my experience studying abroad as an undergraduate.  Our school has a university in Madrid which makes it extremely easy for students to study abroad.  I decided to take this opportunity my junior year for a summer semester and have never regretted it.  It was so much fun meeting new people and learning about new cultures.  As a graduate student when this opportunity came up I knew I had to apply for it.  For my career as a student in the US this is the only and last opportunity I would have to go abroad.  Apart from the traveling, I was also interested in learning how the healthcare system worked in other countries.  Our exchange program is a unique program where instead of taking classes at the university, we are working at one of their hospitals.  This was a first hand opportunity to experience the differences between the healthcare systems in the US and Sweden.

Courses during the exchange period

ESG001 : Clinical rotation for exchange students- Physiotherapy 1
I did not take any real courses in a classroom on campus while in Stockholm. Instead I did a clinical rotation where I was working at one of KI's affiliated hospitals. I worked in a neurological rehabilitation until which was extremely interesting and an area of physiotherapy that I have not had a chance to work in until now. I learned a lot from my clinical instructors and they allowed me to have my independence in order to learn from trial and error.

Summary

I enjoyed my stay in Stockholm greatly.  I not only learned a lot about the healthcare system but also about the culture here as well.  Everything worked out very smoothly for us so there is not a whole lot I would arrange differently about my trip.

Language and Culture

not applicable

Studies in general

We did not really study at KI rather we did a clinical exchange with the university in one of their hospitals so my experience would primarily be student/patient or student/clinical instructor.  Our healthcare system in the US is so different then the healthcare system set in place in Sweden so it is hard to discuss in just a short paragraph.  There were a lot of things I did like about the patient care in Sweden in comparison to the patient care recieved in the US but the major thing I noticed was the communication between all members of a healthcare team.  Every week the team for a patient would meet to discuss their findings for the week and to get input from other team members on what they saw/thought about something.  Communication is typically lacking between different members of a healthcare team in the US and even if it is there it is like communciation in passing.