After a really busy week, Thursday and Friday have been a little more laid back. We had class yesterday morning and then took a tour of a Primary Care Centre. Today, we went on a Secret Streets Tour (more about that in a minute).
Thursday marked the beginning of the second half of the class -- which will go fast and furious over the next week and a half. We spent a good chunk of time in class just checking in to see how students were doing, what they were learning, and to see if they needed anything. I'd do the same in my classes in Kentucky, but I think it's extra important here when they are immersed in this new (and very different environment). The other class goal for yesterday was to do a case study comparing two similar patients in rural Ireland and rural Kentucky -- and talk about what might lead to different outcomes. On the heels of our trip to Northern Ireland, which was much more rural than our time in Dublin has been, it was an especially appropriate time to remind ourselves that much like Kentucky (and my home state of West Virginia), Ireland has many rural areas. And with that rurality comes many of the same challenges we face -- a harder time getting providers to practice there, long drives to bigger cities for treatment, mistrust of doctors, and more. I think the students enjoyed it -- and I certainly enjoyed hearing what they had to say!
While I didn't take any pictures there for obvious reasons (patient privacy and all!), the session at GrangeGorman Primary Care Centre was so interesting. It was great to be able to get our students into a healthcare facility for a chat -- that's often not possible on these education abroad trips, so we feel really lucky. There were several healthcare providers and leaders who came to talk with us -- the Network Manager, a Public Health Nurse, a Social Worker, a Consultant (equivalent to an Attending Physician in the US), and a Mental Health General Manager. These Primary Care Centres are divided up geographically and what they focus on depends on the needs of the population. They are funded by the government, and in the case of GrangeGorman, serves about 70,000 Dublin residents that live nearby. The Public Health Nurse was particularly interesting to me -- she and others on her team go out and do home visits -- all for free. From the littlest children to older adults, they serve a very wide variety of patients. It seems like patients have to be referred from their General Practitioner (or GP), but the goal is to move more of the care out of the hospital and into the community. In some ways, I think Ireland is further ahead than the US in this aspect, but in some ways, I think the US is ahead. Hospital care in the US in 2026 is reserved for pretty significant health concerns -- and everything else is outside of the hospital. But, the cost of our care is certainly higher.
During my free time Thursday afternoon, I found a little deli called "Lovinspoon" and they had the best salad. I'm sure it's not everywhere, but I haven't found a ton of vegetables served at meals here -- so, I was thrilled to get to create my own salad.
One funny thing that happened as I was checking out -- there was a bucket of candy that looked very much like a KitKat at the checkout. I asked for a piece of candy, to which the shopkeeper replied, "well, that's very American." It made me laugh -- can't hide where I'm from. I learned that in Ireland, you're asking for sweets, not candy.
I then went on a tour of 14 Henrietta Street (https://14henriettastreet.ie/). I learned how one house went from the aristocracy in the 1800s to a tenement house in the 1900s, all the way up to the 1970s! It was a nice peek into some Dublin history -- especially about housing and its connections to social status and location.
Thursday evening was a relaxing time of laundry and cooking in our apartment -- the kids like to tease me that we're an "ingredient house" because we don't have a lot of grab and go food around. I find my tendency even in a small dorm apartment is to want to cook -- always has been, guessing it probably always will be.
Switching to Friday now, we went on a Secret Streets tour this afternoon (https://www.secretstreettours.org/). Secret Streets is a nonprofit with the stated goal of empowering people affected by homelessness by training them to become skilled tour guides in Dublin. Noel, one of our guides, started off with a story of being a stowaway to New York in the 1980s. It seemed too good to be true, so he told us to Google it -- and wouldn't you know it, they've made a documentary about this escapade: https://www.image.ie/living/this-story-of-2-young-dubliners-who-stowed-away-on-a-plane-to-nyc-needs-to-be-a-movie-383629
Both of our entertaining tour guides previously struggled with addiction and many challenges that came along with that -- and have done the work to get out of addiction and changed their lives for the better. One of the stops on our tour was the Salvation Army -- and they shared that rooms at the Salvation Army were coveted because they were single and could be locked, as opposed to many of the other places that offered shared rooms that weren't always as a safe. They said that there are enough beds for people who want them-- they just might not always be in their first choice places. We know that not having a safe place to sleep can also affect a person's health -- the tour provided some real life context to some of the things we've been talking about at a more abstract level.
I ended the day with a movie ("Supergirl" was good!) and dinner (The Meat Wagon was even better!).
This is our last weekend here -- I'll be on a plane back to the US next Saturday. So, I'm going adventuring on Saturday -- Kilkenny to the Wicklow Mountains to Glendalough. Sunday, I'm joining my co-leader and her family on a tour...with Irish Wolfhounds. Yes, the dogs. HA! I'll do a weekend wrap-up post then after all the fun!
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