CIEE Summer Community Public Health Program in Buenos Aires, Argentina

  Argentina

• Buenos Aires: 
Buenos Aires

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

Description: The Community Public Health summer program is designed to help students to develop an understanding of Argentina's healthcare system from a social science perspective. Academic coursework allows students to learn about healthcare strategies in Argentina, while fieldwork gives them the opportunity to observe a range of healthcare challenges and the variety of solutions in place. Students compare the differences and similarities between healthcare systems in Argentina and other countries, and learn how to approach common problems.

Academic Program:
Students enroll in three required courses consisting of two components: academic coursework and fieldwork. The academic component prepares students linguistically in Spanish and provides a theoretical framework for understanding the healthcare system in Argentina as compared to healthcare systems in other parts of the world. During their fieldwork, students are placed in small groups to observe and participate in the healthcare system, and are involved in such initiatives as healthcare promotion. Students come to better understand the social inequities that impact health in various parts of Argentina. In addition, students learn from their peers and, after their fieldwork, have a broader vision of healthcare challenges, as well as strategies for meeting those challenges.

The field component is in one of six geographic areas:

Buenos Aires City and Buenos Aires Province (AMBA): This project in this region focuses on a network of maternal-perinatal centers in an urban environment with the objective of improving the quality of prenatal and postnatal services based on a research-action process. AMBA provides an example of a large organization that serves one-third of the country's population.

City of Mendoza (Mendoza Province - 15 hours from Buenos Aires City): This province, bordering Chile, is working on how they manages public health policy through cooperative efforts between the Department of Education and the Department of Health. The project in this region allows students to observe how governmental departments cooperate to provide healthcare services.

Concepcion del Uruguay (Entre Rios Province - 2 hours from Buenos Aires City): This province, which borders Uruguay, has a largely rural population and offers students the opportunity to observe how healthcare services are dispersed in a rural environment.

Olavarria (Buenos Aires Province - 4 hours from Buenos Aires City): A county located in the heart of Buenos Aires Province, Olavarria offers students the opportunity to observe how healthcare services are dispersed in a rural environment.

Montevideo (Uruguay, 3 hours from Buenos Aires by ship or a 30 minute flight): This city is located on the Rio de La Plata and offers students the possibility of learning about youth health programs and inclusive approaches to working with people who have disabilities. Buenos Aires City, Pasteur Institute: This institution belongs to the government of Buenos Aires and is in charge of developing veterinary programs and services. The purpose of this experience is to understand the contribution of veterinary public health in large urban settings as an expression of the quality of the environment and quality of life for its population.

Academic Culture:
At FLACSO, courses are organized and evaluated on a system very similar to that in the U.S., with each professor following a syllabus provided to students, and assessments made based on a range of assignments that include papers, exams, and final presentations. Academic tutorials are offered for each course. With CIEE support and supervision, students meet with tutors who help them maximize their classroom experience.

Highlights:

• Intensive Spanish language training with a focus on medical terminology
  
• Specially designed interdisciplinary courses in public health taught by well-trained professors and researchers
  
• Hands-on field experience to learn firsthand about healthcare in Argentina, guided by local practitioners
  
• Analysis of the connections between healthcare and the social environment
  
• Homestay, students immersed in Argentine life

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

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

Experience Required: yes

• Overall GPA 2.75
• 5 semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent
• College-level coursework in public health recommended
• College-level coursework in history or politics of Argentina or Latin America recommended

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Argentina Independently

Scholarships are Available. We have several scholarships that students can apply for. Contact CIEE for details.

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Transcript
• Written Application

CIEE's Mission Statement: Since 1947, the Council on International Educational Exchange, known as CIEE, has been in pursuit of its mission, "to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. Our services to young people studying, working, teaching, and traveling abroad are more important than ever.

Year Founded: 1947