While staying in Scotland, I had the unintended pleasure of learning about their healthcare system. Anyone who knows me, or knows anything about me, will be able to tell you that I am incredibly clumsy. In all reality, if you asked one of my best friends to describe me the first word that would come out of their mouths would be “clumsy.” It’s an unfortunate curse, but sometimes allows for interesting discoveries such as this one.

You’d be amazed what the fall from the second step from a bunk bed can do to you, especially if you happen to hit your head on the corner of a metal radiator. I can’t go too much into detail about what happened afterwards, I just remember waking up in the morning with no recollection of what happened or why my head hurt. After deciding not to take me to the hospital the first day (I managed to convince my leader that I was fine and it was just a headache), I nearly threw up walking around the second day and ended up in the emergency room of a Scotland hospital.

From first look, I was beyond confused. Children with sniffles and one woman with a bleeding head were all sitting in the same room like this was a regular checkup. In America, you only go to the hospital for emergencies on account that it’s so expensive. In Scotland, you go to the hospital for almost everything. The reason being is that a visit to the hospital is free (crazy, I know!). I can remember being completely dazed and confused and asking the leader who was with me at the time why we didn’t have to pay, only to receive the most in-depth explanation about the Scottish healthcare system.

My only word of advice to you is that if you get a concussion traveling; I hope it’s in Scotland!

Abby Harris is sophomore at Washington High School who took part in People to People, an international program that allowed her to visit England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales over the summer.