University of Wisconsin–Madison

England and Netherlands: Benjamin Wiest (A New Experience)

One of the most surprising and memorable experiences during my time abroad was the walking tour about plant-based medicine and the history of medical research in London. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did — but if someone offered a full-length version of that tour today, I’d sign up in a heartbeat.

A tree with no leaves reaching up above the other leaved trees. The main tree is leafless and is a snarled tangle of limbs reaching up to the sky.
A tree in London that I felt to be beautiful.

What stood out most was the story of a woman who combed through over 200,000 plants and their extraction methods to find one effective treatment. That blew my mind. It made the process behind drug development feel real — not just high-tech labs and big pharma, but intense, tedious labor done by real people over long periods. It also shifted my thinking: scientific progress isn’t always the work of a single genius. Most of it is driven by relentless, often invisible effort.

We also heard about a serial killer doctor, which brought up strange parallels to today’s opioid crisis. It made me wonder: how often have doctors in history walked the line between healer and enabler? It was a dark but important reminder of the responsibility that comes with medical power.

Finally, there was this odd little moment when the guide passed around an oil sample. I loved the scent — but others found it repulsive. It was a funny reminder that our bodies respond differently, even to the same substances. Personalized medicine might sound trendy, but it’s really just a reflection of what’s always been true: humans are wonderfully inconsistent.

This experience deepened my respect for the layers behind medicine — from nature, to history, to the future innovation. And it left me wondering what public health challenges London faces today, especially in terms of community wellness and access. I’d love to return one day and find out more.

A blonde man with a purple tie-dye head covering sits in between two gray concrete pillars while wearing sunglasses and holding a bottle of water.

Benjamin Wiest

Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin

Major: Human Development & Family Studies

Program: CIEE Summer Comparative Public Health Systems [London & Amsterdam]

I look forward to learning about the culture and the way of life in both of my program cities! One goal I have is to make international connections and open up potential opportunities I could never imagine here at home.