With the 2008 election looming in the near future and healthcare reform as a major point of contention, my summer trip to London to compare the “Ethical and Social Issues in Health Care in the U.S. and the U.K.” was particularly appropriate. Through this program, I had the opportunity to spend six weeks interning in a major hospital in central London, learning the ins and outs of Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). As I have had many experiences shadowing American physicians, comparing British hospital practices to those of the United States was a particularly fascinating experience for me.
This internship was supplemented by the course work provided by Professor Childs and Professor Lammers; our group of 20 met weekly to discuss class readings, each of which addressed a specific aspect of a healthcare system.
While the coursework was certainly an integral component of the trip, the city of London exceeded all of my expectations. As I have always lived in a small town, adjusting to life in the center of one of the world’s major cities was overwhelming, but very exciting. After less than a week, all of us on the trip had mastered London’s underground transportation, colloquially known as the “tube”, and relied upon it to get around this beautiful city. We became accustomed to seeing at least one pub on every corner, and finding a place to try every cuisine imaginable.
London’s theatre offerings were a major highlight of this trip for me. As a class we saw a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the reconstructed Globe Theatre and a brilliant monologue delivered by Vanessa Redgrave in her portrayal of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking at the English National Theatre. A group of us took advantage of London’s West End Stage, seeing such classic musicals as Les Miserables and Cabaret, as well as a special performance by the English National Ballet.
Adventures outside of the city of London further expanded our knowledge of British history and culture. We traveled to the historic city of Bath to see the naturally occurring hot springs constructed by the ancient Romans. As if that were not enough, we all had the once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with the prehistoric Stonehenge. “Punting” down the River Cam at Cambridge University was great fun, as was straddling the Prime Meridian at The Royal Observatory at Greenwich. Most thrilling of all was the Saturday we spent at Wimbledon, where I was able to see Rafael Nadal, who one week later became the Men’s Wimbledon Champion, play in an early round match.
Despite all this, the friendships I made in London will be what I remember most from this experience. Whether it was spending all afternoon chatting over a leisurely lunch, visiting a museum, shopping in one of London’s many outdoor markets, taking a spin around the London Eye, touring the major sites, or navigating Piccadilly Circus at night, it is the people I bonded with that make this trip truly memorable.
As I enter my senior year at Lafayette, I feel fortunate to have met the remarkable people on my trip and look forward to spending time with them during my final year in college. Spending the Fourth of July (a potentially lonely day for an American in England of all places), with Lafayette’s Alumni Chapter in London reinforced for me the impact that Lafayette friendships will have on my life. I am grateful to Lafayette for giving me these memories, ones which I will cherish for my entire life.
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