Olivia Cassidy
Final Reflection — Post 3
I completed my 6-week study abroad program in London, England. My favorite moments from the second half of the trip were visiting the Hunterian Museum, attending a play at the National Theater, and going to the London Eye on the last day of class. During my program, I learned a lot about living in a different country and adapting to its norms. I learned how to grocery shop like a Londoner and I tried lots of different food than I would normally eat at home. I drank tea every morning and learned how to ride the tube like a local. By the end of the program I was navigating without maps to places and felt very comfortable in my ability to get around the city and visit sights by myself.
By the end of the summer, I was able to visit most of the museums I had planned to visit, and even more. From my original list, I visited the Natural History Museum, the Royal College of Physicians, the Wellcome Collection Museum, the British Library, and the Globe Theater. Additionally, I was able to visit the London Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Hunterian Museum, and the Grant Museum. Visiting these museums was so incredible because I got to visit science exhibitions and learn more about the history of medicine in England.
Upon completion of the program, I achieved my goal of learning different societal responses to advancements in medicine. During my infectious diseases class, we discussed the differences in response to pandemics throughout history. I took this interest even further, and in my final paper, explored how cultural reactions shape responses to pandemics. By looking at the Plague, Smallpox, Cholera, and COVID-19 pandemics I found that social norms have the largest impact on disease response. Namely, I found that religion, contemporary notions of disease, and levels of societal individualism are major forces in determining cultural response to pandemics. This knowledge will help me understand how future patients might respond to a diagnosis or another outbreak of disease. Taking into consideration cultural impact will help health workers create more effective disease prevention strategies.
Additionally, due to my class work this summer I grew as a researcher. I had to complete lots of research for both final papers in my classes. I learned how to go through scholarly sources more effectively and craft my searches. I looked at societal responses to pandemics in my Biology class and in my English class I examined 18th-century poetry to answer the question of whether England is fundamentally diseased. To answer this question I analyzed Jonathan Swift’s “Description of a City Shower” and William Blake’s “London.” My research centered around England in the 18th century and the First Industrial Revolution. I argued that the poems, as well as a painting set by William Hogarth, demonstrated anxieties about England’s Industrial Revolution and obsession with capitalism. Ultimately due to these factors, the country was fundamentally diseased. To answer this question I dug through many scholarly papers and books but I am very glad because it pushed me to be a better writer.
This summer contributed to a lot of personal growth in terms of resilience and adaptability. In one instance, my class wanted to go to Brighton and spend the afternoon at the beach. However, when we were in a rush we got on the wrong train. We ended up needing to get off the train, head back to London, and then board the new train there. This experience really helped me learn how to stay calm when things were going wrong and not let it affect the rest of the day. After we returned to London, we were able to get on the right train and make it to Brighton. I felt proud that we were able to stay calm, fix the mistake, and ultimately end up at our destination. I also learned how to be adaptable in London when there were delays in public transport or closures. I realized that it is most important to be flexible with your expectations and not let little setbacks affect the outcome of my whole day.
Throughout the program, I also tried to work on my leadership within group assignments and activities with my classmates. I helped lead group projects and presentations in class. After hearing that some of my classmates were interested in going inside Buckingham Palace, I set up a date for all of us to tour. Seeing the staterooms was amazing and we enjoyed the experience. Additionally, at the end of the program I bought two thank you cards for our professors and got everyone to sign them. Our professors really liked the cards and it felt good to thank them after they worked so hard teaching us this summer.
I would not have been able to have these experiences without the Eve Carson Scholarship funds. The summer stipend helped me afford the study abroad program and pushed me to grow as much as possible while I was in London. I became a confident leader in class presentations and organizing group trips around the city. I increased my moral force of character by working on my resilience and adaptability in challenging situations. I had so much transformative growth, leaving Chapel Hill as a student who had never studied outside of the country in a large city to feeling like a local confident of taking on whatever London threw at me. While I did not have many service experiences in my program, I feel like living with my classmates and doing so much group work will help me take on future service endeavors at Carolina. I learned how to interact with people of all backgrounds which will aid me in many volunteer positions. Overall, I have grown immensely in my independence and learned so much about researching medicine and literature. Back at Carolina, I still plan to host a meeting with my pre-health fraternity AED and teach them what I have learned over the summer. I will continue to advocate for the co-teaching of science and literature. I hope to inspire them to have their own growth by interacting with the fields and show them how understanding culture and narrative form is imperative to becoming a good healthcare worker.
Midpoint Reflection — Post 2
I am three weeks into my study abroad program in London, England. My favorite part of the experience so far has been exploring the city with my classmates. We have watched a play at the Globe Theater, explored various street markets, and watched the changing of the Guard at Buckingham palace. The UK weather is very unpredictable and is taking some getting used to, but I have learned that always having an umbrella is a good idea!
My goals for this summer included learning about biological advancements and the society’s reception to them. In my classes, we have started to tackle these questions. I have been learning about smallpox from a biological standpoint as well as the public's reception to smallpox inoculation. I have also had the opportunity to compare pandemics such as the 1665 Plague in London and the 2020 Covid pandemic. Researching and understanding these pandemics allows for greater understanding of the evolving attitudes towards diseases and quarantine. During this trip I also had specific places that I wanted to visit. Thus far, out of the museums I planned on visiting I have been to the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the British library.
There are 20 other fabulous students in my study abroad program. One way I have demonstrated leadership on this trip is by collaborating with my classmates to book a trip to the Sky Garden. The Sky Garden is a free viewing platform in London’s Fenchurch building. After hearing some people were interested in going, I tracked the tickets and booked a ticket for everyone once they were available. I also told my professors about this and now the sky Garden Trip is an official course activity. I wanted to make sure everyone was included and had an opportunity to experience London from a different view than we see everyday.
While in some ways such as language, England is very similar to the US. There are many cultural differences I have noticed. One of the big things is that people here grocery shop more often and the expiration dates on items are sooner than they are in the US. There is also a difference in the architecture and buildings here as the buildings are much older than those in the US. I have also noticed that ideas of personal space and sitting close to others are different. The number one rule I have learned about London is don’t stand on the left of the escalators! The left is for walking and the right is for standing.
This program has allowed me to do a lot of collaborating with my peers during class projects. We have multiple presentations each week where we share an analysis of the week's reading, a creative assignment we worked on together, or even perform a skit in front of the class. Doing the presentations so commonly has increased my confidence in speaking in front of others. Some helpful feedback my groups have received during our presentations is to think about why we might have been asked to study this material and how it can connect to our own personal experiences in the city.
Overall, I have had a super enjoyable time in my first three weeks in London. I have learned so much and cannot wait to continue enjoying the city and surrounding towns!
Pre-Departure Reflection — Post 1
This summer, I will be studying abroad in London, England with the UNC Honors Program Burch Seminar in Infectious Diseases. I will be in London from Mid June to early August taking two courses. The first course is Biology 480H, Discoveries in Prevention and Cure of Infectious Disease in London and the second is English 266H, London in Literature: Disease and Science.
My primary goal for this summer experience is to learn more about biological research and changing cultural attitudes towards new advancements in the scientific fields. The main objective I hope to address on this trip is how scientific writers communicated their findings to the public and how the public responded. In my classes, I will learn about scientific discoveries such as Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine and John Snow’s discovery of cholera. I will then determine the reception of these discoveries through reading other literary texts of the time to see how they represent attitudes towards science. I am passionate about connecting science to literature as I think both are powerful tools that will equip me in my future career as a physician scientist. Understanding the public’s reception to science will help me craft my own scientific papers and patient education in the future. I also think literature is such a powerful fascinating tool for communicating with others and by studying famous British literary authors I will become a better writer who can communicate more effectively.
During this program, I am most excited to explore British museums and cultural sites with my classmates. Some of the places I plan to go include: the Natural History Museum, the Royal College of Physicians, the Wellcome Museum, Stratford-Upon-Avon, the Globe Theater, the British Library, and the Bodleian Library Oxford. I imagine this summer as a change for transformative growth living in a new place. However, having lived in Chapel Hill for the past three years, I am a little nervous about living in such a large city. I plan to overcome any challenges I face in London by turning to my classmates and professors for help. To truly engage with the city during this time I plan to immerse myself in the city by visiting historical sites mentioned as well as, parks, museums, concerts, and plays.
I think my previous studies in medical humanities and biology will set me up to succeed in my classes this summer. Some strengths that I will use during this program include my knowledge of the scientific process, critical reasoning skills, and openness to learn from others. My dedication and perseverance in previous courses will allow me to do well in both courses during the summer.
During my time on the program, I will discuss with the professors and my fellow students to see why they think it is important to learn science and literature simultaneously. I will also examine the ways in which the medical humanities are taught in England and the United States. These opinions, as well as my own experiences, will guide my endeavors back in Chapel Hill. Once back at Carolina, I plan to host a meeting with my pre-health fraternity, AED, to describe my experiences and advocate for science and literature to be taught together. I will emphasize my growth resulting from the two disciplines and encourage students to take health humanities classes. From the program, I hope to personally improve my knowledge of scientific communication and learn to be comfortable in new environments. Professionally, I will take what I learn from this experience and apply it towards educating others at UNC and applying my knowledge towards my own scientific research as a physician scientist.