My first cultural observation took place when I visited the Emergency Room in Paris. After hitting my head and experiencing concussion symptoms, I thought it would be best to get evaluated by a professional. When I arrived at the hospital, I was met with shortness and indifference from the nurses. After waiting for several hours, I was seen by a doctor for less than 15 minutes who did not conduct any tests besides a brief physical examination. I noticed that the concern for brain injuries was almost non-existent in France, whereas it is one of the most commonly assessed injuries in the United States.
I was quite shocked at the level of effort of the doctors in the Emergency Room, especially as patients were left to wait by themselves in an isolated waiting room. When I spoke to the doctors and nurses about my symptoms and was met with laughter regarding my concerns, I felt quite invalidated as a patient and as a human.
I believe that someone from my host culture would think my health concerns were exaggerated or unnecessary as brain injuries are not typically diagnosed or treated in France. They would probably also be surprised at the health care system in the states as doctors are enticed to perform expensive tests and procedures as this will affect their salaries, especially if they work for private practices/hospitals. However, because medicine is subsidized in France, patients and doctors alike are not as expected nor enticed to be as thorough as in the U.S.
This experience has helped me prepare to navigate successfully in a multicultural world as it has opened my eyes to a healthcare system much more common/global than the one I am used to. If I were ever to consider living abroad, I would be sure to research and understand the country’s healthcare system so that I felt more comfortable and validated as a patient.
My second cultural observation took place in the classroom when I was micro aggressed and bullied by my professor. Growing up at a French school, I understand that the teaching method is quite different as it relies on belittling and criticizing students. However, when this happened to me at an American institution in France, I realized that such a teaching culture permeates throughout this country.
I was very hurt by this situation as I did not expect to be met with such a negative scholastic environment. When I brought up my concerns to administration, it took several rounds of speaking to various departments before my voice was the slightest bit heard. I was thus very disappointed in the institution’s handling of my professor’s behavior.
I believe that someone from my host culture would think I was also overexaggerating about this situation as the French culture is a lot less socially conscious than the U.S. culture. For example, several professors I’ve encountered in Paris have made comments that would not be socially accepted in the states and might even cost such professors their jobs. The unfortunate fact is that the French culture is vastly different than the U.S.’ thus making it acceptable for certain things to be said in Paris.
This experience has helped me prepare to navigate successfully in a multicultural world as it has opened my eyes to what is and what isn’t socially acceptable in different cultures. If I were ever to consider living abroad, I would be sure to research and understand the country’s culture that I was moving to in order to evaluate whether or not it would be a comfortable environment for me.
