Past Review
By Nupur K (Economics., Rice University) for
CIEE: Santiago - Liberal Arts, Dominican Republic
Absolutely! I gained a new outlook not only on health care and public policy, but also on aspects of life we take for granted in the United States. Complete foreign language and culture immersion taught me to laugh at myself and maintain a sense of humor no matter what happened. Lastly, I made lifelong friends with Dominican students, my host family, and with students within the program.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Madre y Maestra, Santiago |
| The term and year this program took place: | Summer 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Most of my learning took place outside of the classroom environment. Visits to public health institutions, and working with the local people in the slums and rural clinics completely changed my perspective on healthcare and public policy. It was one of the most rewarding and eye-opening experiences of my life. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in La Rinconada, Calle 7, in Santiago. My host family was absolutely wonderful. They treated me just like a daughter. <br /><br /> the housing was centrally located and very easily accessible. |
| * Food: |
I am a vegetarian and my host family was very considerate in providing meals for me. I was given complete meals even if it required additional food made specifically for me. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The students in the program all got along very well. Additionally, the local university had a group of local students who befriended us and invited us to all social events within and outside the university. We visited beaches, learned merengue and bachata dancing, and spent a weekend in the capital city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I was mugged during the program. This is by no means a reflection on the country or the program. It was just a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It is important, however, to remain cautious and aware of the surroundings. I got mugged on my way to the university on the route I had taken atleast 50 times. It would have been nice, if the program had provided buses or some form of transportation to the students to avoid walking under the dark bridge on the way to school. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About $30; However with gifts, food, books, phone charges, personal tourism, entertainment, etc. I spent a total of $600 during the course of the entire 7 weeks. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I wish I had been informed that transportation costs would be very high. Although, public transportation is relatively cheap, students use it extremely frequently. It adds up over time. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
My language skills improved tenfold. Since I was completely immersed in the culture and daily life of the Dominicans, I used my Spanish 24/7. My host family did not speak any English. My professors taught solely in spanish and did not speak English either. All my assignments, presentations, and lectures to the local people about preventative medicine were in Spanish. Inevitably, my Spanish was fluent by the time I left the country. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go with an open mind. The culture is drastically different from the one we are used to in the United States. Do not judge Dominican culture with standards for your own. If you do so, I guarantee your perspective on health care and many aspects of life in the United States will change. |
