SLU AT Study Abroad Opportunity - Switzerland

Studying in the Center of It All!

by: Maggie Meier, Athletic Training Student

SLU MAT Class of 2013

Bonjour! I traveled to Geneva, Switzerland for my fall semester junior year. I tried to take full advantage of all the amazing travel opportunities while aboard, traveling to France, Germany, Italy, Vienna, Austria, Holland, Monaco, and Portugal.  My favorite part was trying all the different foods and wines. While abroad, I tried to say “yes” to everything new. I even ended up climbing a mountain, which was exhilarating. 

Maggie and her parents at the top of   "Zugspitze" the highest point in Germany.

The school I attended in Geneva was extremely diverse. I was amazed by the numerous multilingual students who considered the knowledge of language part of normal life. I made sure to take a French course while in Geneva to become more confident with my ability to speak French. 

While in Geneva, I had the opportunity to shadow a physician. The holistic approach to medicine made me realize how important it is not to just focus on an injury and fixing it, but to make sure underlying problems are not causing that injury and focus on prevention.  

Food and exercise also play a major role in European health.  People go shopping everyday and only buy fresh food to prepare for the day. I soon became accustomed to buying bread fresh everyday from the market. The markets sold considerably less junk food because there is not the same demand for those products in Europe. Also, Europeans walk everywhere.  I was unprepared for the amount of walking, and I soon realized bringing high heels for going out was a mistake. 

I loved my study abroad experience, and I hope to incorporate what I learned about healthcare in Geneva into my future profession.  I am so lucky I had the opportunity to study abroad and recommend it to everyone. It was seriously one of my best experiences ever.

This is one of several posts featuring SLU AT Student study abroad experiences.  Because of its 3-2 format, the SLU AT program gives students a unique ability to study abroad.  For more information about study abroad experiences at SLU go to: http://www.slu.edu/x26920.xml .