Month: May 2026

by Kelsey Glessner

The past few days in Aix-en-Provence have been wonderful! On Tuesday (5/19), we started the academic portion of our trip with a morning lecture on the United States Healthcare System, where we learned about its strengths and weaknesses and its general structure. The United States has an ever-growing technology base and a strong drive to learn and discover more about potential cures and improved healthcare. However, our health outcomes are not necessarily better than those of other countries. Although our tax costs are low, we struggle to provide equal access to healthcare for everyone and continue to spend unnecessary money repeating tests to prevent patients from suing providers or healthcare companies for negligence and malpractice. The picture below shows our classroom where we spent the morning learning!

After our class, some of us went to explore the local market. Aix-en-Provence has three different local markets filled with food, jewelry, bags, and clothes. We spent our entire break wandering through all of the unique stores. Before we returned to our classroom, we grabbed a quick lunch and ate on the way to class. The sandwiches in France are truly so delicious. Below is a picture of some beautiful jewelry we saw at the market!

During our second class session, we heard from two guest speakers. The first was a French woman, Emmanuelle Hartmann, who discussed what women’s health looked
like in France. I really enjoyed hearing from her and learned many interesting truths about France’s healthcare system regarding women, including: abortion is legalized, women get a four-month maternity leave, many tests and screenings for diseases are mandated, and IVF is covered for the first three treatments by the French healthcare system.

The second speech came from a CNRA (the French term for CRNA) and another man who spoke on the French Healthcare system, how it operates, and how the French system and medical schooling differ from ours. We learned that the French Healthcare system focuses on equity, access, and quality. France operates under a risk-averse system, meaning stability is very important in its healthcare system. Something that shocked me was the amount of paid time off the French receive, which can total around 5 to 8 weeks of vacation time. Secondly, I was shocked to hear that medical school is free in France, though it becomes highly competitive by the second year, reducing many people’s chances of becoming physicians.

After an amazing first day of classes, I went to hang out with some of my new friends and had a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant called Chez Lion. We shared some hummus and bread, and truffle pasta, which was inDuring our second class session, we heard from two guest speakers. The first was a French woman, Emmanuelle Hartmann, who discussed what women’s health looked
like in France. I really enjoyed hearing from her and learned many interesting truths about France’s healthcare system regarding women, including: abortion is legalized, women get a four-month maternity leave, many tests and screenings for diseases are mandated, and IVF is covered for the first three treatments by the French healthcare system.

The second speech came from a CNRA (the French term for CRNA) and another man who spoke on the French Healthcare system, how it operates, and how the French system and medical schooling differ from ours. We learned that the French Healthcare system focuses on equity, access, and quality. France operates under a risk-averse system, meaning stability is very important in its healthcare system. Something that shocked me was the amount of paid time off the French receive, which can total around 5 to 8 weeks of vacation time. Secondly, I was shocked to hear that medical school is free in France, though it becomes highly competitive by the second year, reducing many people’s chances of becoming physicians.

After an amazing first day of classes, I went to hang out with some of my new friends and had a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant called Chez Lion. We shared some hummus and bread, and truffle pasta, which was incredible. After dinner, we stopped for some gelato.

The next day, on Wednesday, May 20th, we woke up and headed back to our classroom to finish up learning more about the United States Healthcare System and a recap of the French Healthcare System. After class, I went with some of the group to get a quick lunch. We got poke bowls (the best I have EVER had), sat by the beautiful Rotonde fountain, and ate together, enjoying the warm weather. We spent the afternoon touring Camp des Milles, an internment camp where Jews were locked away before being sent to Auschwitz. The tour was very eye-opening to the unimaginable conditions that these people had to endure.

by Abby Tyndall

Even though we have only been in Aix-en-Provence for three days, I feel like we have already had so many great experiences in this beautiful city. Yesterday was our first official day of class, and we spent our day getting acquainted with the IAU-ACM campus and Aix as a whole. After our orientation with the IAU staff, we took a lunch break at Cafe Med, a cafe specifically reserved for students. After lunch, we set out to explore the city, and stopped inside this stunning cathedral near campus.

Next, we were given a guided tour of the city, in which we learned about some of its history and landmarks. This glimpse into Aix helped us to better understand the environment we will be studying in during the next two weeks, and it only made me more excited! One particularly interesting stop was the Palais de Justice, where there is currently a high-profile trial taking place. Other than that, we were educated about Aix’s notable locations, as well as many beautiful fountains, which the city is known for (given its nickname, the “city of a thousand fountains.”)

That night, a large group of us had dinner at Casa Capri, an Italian restaurant in the city center, and I will definitely have to visit it again before we depart for Madrid!

On Tuesday, we began delving into the subject of health systems, which we will be studying throughout this trip. Our morning consisted of an introduction to the healthcare system as it exists across the world, including an overview of America’s approach to healthcare, which we will utilize as a point of comparison to that of the countries we plan to visit.

After our morning class, me and three other members of our group ventured out to the food, flower, and clothing markets on Cours Mirabeau and Place Richelme, where we spent the afternoon sipping our coffee and shopping in the numerous stalls. My favorite stall was a vendor selling what must have been a million different types of soap, and I could not resist buying a few for myself!

Our class session on Tuesday afternoon contained two wonderful guest speakers who provided us with greater insight into the French healthcare system. I was most captivated by the first speaker, who discussed women’s health in France, as well as Aix-en-Provence in particular. Women’s health was one of the topics I was most excited to learn about during this experience, so I am grateful that we got such an informed perspective on it from our speaker

by London Hoxworth

It has been such a fun and exciting time in France so far, packed with such good food and getting to know my peers! I have especially loved working on my French and trying to speak to the locals.

We started classes yesterday and had our first orientation at the Institute for American Universities (IAU) where the Dean of Students shared university policies and current students shared bits of advice and recommendations on places to visit while in Aix. We then went for a tour of the campus and got to see all the buildings. One of my favorite spots was the garden behind the Villa Celony building! It was very calm and peaceful out there. For lunch, a group of us grabbed a croissant at La Maison de La Viennoiserie. I had a chicken sandwich on a croissant and it was amazing! Some of my friends got the raspberry (framboise) filled croissant, which looked incredible!

We ate lunch at the Med Cafe, the student-only cafe on campus, where we met some students from the University of Michigan that were also in Aix studying abroad. After lunch, we went back to the classroom and had a quick debrief of upcoming assignments and we were able to meet with our groups to talk about what we wanted to do for our group project. We had a city tour of Aix, where we learned about some of the history of the city! Then, some of my new friends and I went shopping and had dinner at a sushi restaurant! It was such a fun day but I was exhausted after it all.

Today was a lecture-heavy day. We started out the morning with learning about the U.S. healthcare system, going over its complexity and uniqueness. Afterwards, we had a long lunch break, where a group of us spent exploring the market, but we needed to stop at our favorite coffee shop first!

For lunch, we had bagels from a place called Bagelstein, which I would highly recommend. It’s a great spot for a grab-and-go lunch and you could also eat in if you want. After that, we went back to campus, where we had two lectures about the French healthcare system. The first lecture was focused on women’s health and was given by a former leader of the Saint Marc Jaumegaude village.

This lecture was amazing and taught me much about French policy as it relates to women’s health. For example, French women have a federally mandated maternity leave of 16 weeks, while in the U.S., that gets decided on by employers. The second lecture provided an overview of the French healthcare system. I was fascinated by how different and more straightforward many of its policies seemed compared to the U.S. healthcare system. I also really appreciated the opportunity to hear firsthand about the experiences of a French healthcare worker. I know that these lectures are helping me to expand my cultural knowledge which will help me in the future in my role as a healthcare administrator!

All in all, France so far has been such a fun experience! I am looking forward to learning more about the international health perspectives that are to come! Au revoir!

by Kaitlyn McKay

Bonjour de France! We are currently in Aix-en-Provence, where we will be spending the next two weeks.
We started our week on Monday by touring the IAU campus, which is so beautiful and located right in the
center of the city. We had an orientation where we discussed wellness and safety, which helped me
become more familiar with how their school operates and what is expected of international students. They also gave recommendations for stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and other places around Aix that will help us feel more comfortable during our stay. We learned more about the local Markets as well, including Place Richelme, which is the daily market, and Place des Precheurs, which occurs Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. We also discussed transportation, cultural awareness, and social customs to help us better understand the city of Aix.

After orientation, we toured the city with one of the student guides named Eleonore. She was very
interested in the art and the history of France, and she showed us awesome things such as where the old
city ended, some of her favorite study spots like the Pavillon De Vendome, and many buildings where we
may have classes. It was very exciting to gain a different feel for the city and see where students spend
their time. After the tour, we had a lunch break where a few classmates and I stopped at Cafe Med, where
I had a chicken Caesar salad made by the amazing Chef Jean.

Later that day, we had another walking tour, this time around all of Aix-en-Provence to learn more about
the city’s history and important landmarks. One thing that stood out to me was the Palais de Justice, a
large courthouse that represents the French legal system.

That evening, a group of 17 of us walked to get dinner at Casa Capri, an Italian restaurant. We ended the
night walking around the city together and enjoying our first days in Provence.

Tuesday was a little busier, as we officially began class at 9:30 am. Our class focused on an overview of the United States healthcare system and its delivery. We discussed how the United States is the only wealthy country without universal healthcare. We also looked at different healthcare models, insurance structures, government health programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and contributors to healthcare costs in the U.S.
We then had lunch!

During our lunch break, Morgan, Abbi, London, and I all explored the Place de Precheurs market since it was open that day and grabbed lunch at Bagelstein before heading back to class for our guest speakers. Emmanuelle Hartmann spoke to us about women’s health in France, while Nitin Beeharry and Benjamin Gerard discussed the French healthcare system as a whole. We learned about France’s universal healthcare system and its emphasis on accessibility, equity, and preventative care. The speakers also discussed women’s healthcare rights in France, which included reproductive healthcare and maternity benefits. One of the most interesting parts of the discussion was seeing how the French and the United States healthcare systems compare to one another.

It has only been the first couple days of class, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this program has in store. Au revoir!It has only been the first couple days of class, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this program has in store. Au revoir!

by Morgan Weaver

Bonjour! We made it to France finally! After a couple of flight delays and a full day of traveling, we
all made it to Aix-en-Provence. Our first few days in France have been full of new friendships,
exploring the city, trying new foods, and having our first two days of class. During our short time
here so far we have all begun to explore the city of Aix-en-Provence and find new yummy
patisseries, cafes, and restaurants. One local coffee shop I really enjoyed was, “Brûlerie richelme.”
A group of about ten of us discovered the local cafe just strolling through the town and the coffee
was amazing, the cafe even grinds their own beans fresh in the shop!

A lot of the first few days of being abroad looked like exploring the city together. Our group is so lucky to have so many kind people because we are all able to split up into different groups each time we do something! It is great because everyone gets to do something they are interested in, while also getting to know each other. There are also many beautiful fountains in the city of Aix-en-Provence, the one that stands out the most is the one in the center of the city, making it easy to orient ourselves whenever navigating the town.

After a few days to get settled in, we had our first day of class on Monday! We were very eager to get to know our campus and explore more of the city on a guided tour. The first day of class was very light on material and more of an orientation and introduction to what we will be studying over the next few weeks. After our first day, many of us went out to dinner together and did some shopping together.

Today, we had our second day of class and really began to dig into the material. We began class by hearing from both Professor Owen and Professor Novakovic as they taught us an overview of the United States healthcare system. We heard both pros and cons to our healthcare system in place and I learned that the United States has a very unique system in place. After learning about the US system, we took a break for lunch and to explore the markets. Aix-en-Provence is known for their markets where you can find anything from clothes to fresh produce. We all enjoyed getting to explore these markets while also getting some fresh air!

After our break, we went back to the university and got to hear from a couple guest speakers. The first speaker was Emmanuelle Hartmann and she talked to us about women’ s health in France. We got the opportunity to hear about major milestones in France’s healthcare as well as some of the contemporary topics that are relevant to Aix-en-Provence specifically regarding women’s health. We then heard from Nitin and Benjamin, they explained the differences in France’s healthcare versus the United States. We discussed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in France’s healthcare to conclude the class. Overall, we are having a great time exploring France while also learning so much about healthcare systems!