By Alan Thompson, ISA Site Specialist
What better way to prepare for a career in health than to study medical Spanish and gain professional experience in Latin America this summer? Which city might be the best fit for you?
Buenos Aires
Urban, artistic and inviting are just a few words that describe the home of the tango. Students at the high intermediate Spanish or advanced Spanish level will enroll in a 60-hour Intensive Spanish for Health Professionals course at the prestigious Universidad de Belgrano to boost their medical vocabulary in Spanish. The Medical Spanish Immersion Summer 5 program gives students the opportunity to shadow healthcare professionals for 15 hours of clinical rotations, for which they will receive a certificate. Students who have completed two semesters of college-level Spanish may first enroll in the Intensive Spanish Language Summer 1 program in the Intensive Intermediate Spanish course prior to the Medical Spanish Immersion program to meet the language requirement.
Cusco
The historic capital of the Incan empire and UNESCO World Heritage Site captivates with its mixture of Inca-crafted stone walls and Spanish colonial architecture, as well as Quechua regularly spoken in the streets. Advanced Spanish level students will enroll in the 45-hour Advanced Spanish for Health Professionals course at the intimate ISA Study Center and will receive a transcript from the Universidad de Salamanca. Cusco Summer 1 students will take another course in one of the following areas: anthropology, culture, language or political science. After completing their coursework, Cusco Summer 1 + Service-Learning students will spend four additional weeks working alongside a local health care organization. Opportunities include health, dental and pharmacy clinics. Students have the option of receiving 3 credits for the service-learning portion of their program. Learn more about Service-Learning organizations in Cusco.
Lima
With a population comparable to the size of New York City, the gastronomical capital of Latin America offers plenty – paragliding, three of the world’s best 50 restaurants and a robust nightlife. The Health Science, Field Work & Medical Spanish program is open to students at the intermediate level and above. Students will study Medical Spanish course at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and choose between two tracks:
- Global and Public Health; coursework in English, field visits and a research project in English
- Community Medicine Service-Learning; coursework in advanced Spanish and extensive field work at local health organization
Both tracks include an additional 15 weekly hours of Medical Spanish in the hip Miraflores district as well as an excursion to Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
