CIEE Summer Community Public Health Program in Santiago, Dominican Republic

  Dominican Republic

• Santiago: 
Santiago

Term: Summer 
Dates: 7 weeks: late May-mid-July

Description: The Community Public Health summer program is designed to provide students with an introduction to basic healthcare issues in a Hispanic Caribbean context and to increase their Spanish language skills to the advanced level. This is achieved through advanced Spanish conversation and grammar classes, coursework focused on pre-professional healthcare issues, a community health practicum, and a homestay. There are also excursions throughout the island, an urban community service project, and a one-week stay in a semi rural health clinic.

Academic Program
This seven-week program consists of six weeks of language and healthcare courses, and a weeklong semi-rural clinical field rotation. Students also participate in an urban community service practicum in and around Santiago as part of the academic curriculum.

Academic Culture
Most PUCMM students specialize in a professions as the law, medicine, engineering,
education, or business. The only social science major is psychology. Like all universities in the Dominican Republic, PUCMM has limited resources compared to most U.S. colleges and universities.

The summer program courses have been designed by PUCMM specifically for CIEE students only. All coursework is conducted in Spanish. Students should be prepared for a style of teaching that is more formal and technical, relying primarily on lectures and may emphasize memorization. Readings are typically assigned in class.

Highlights:

• Courses held at the best academic institution of higher learning in the Dominican Republic
  
• One-week semi-rural clinical field rotation, providing field experience
  
• Urban community service practicum in and around Santiago; gives students the ability to work with local public health experts
  
• Excursions to sites of cultural importance in and around Santiago, including a weekend trip to Santo Domingo; homestay with a local family

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Please check the CIEE website for current program pricing

Experience Required: yes