Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An inside view of the healthcare world in another nation Past Review

By (Biology, General., Trinity University) - abroad from 05/29/2012 to 07/13/2012 with

IES Abroad: Santiago Summer - Health Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
One clear benefit was the improvement of my communication skill in Spanish and the comfort and confidence I gained in conversing with Chileans. I also really enjoyed the days in healthcare setting when we were able to get a sense of how things are operated and the discrepancy in care opportunities and setting for people of different socioeconomic backgrounds and regions.

Review Photos

IES Abroad: Santiago Summer - Health Studies Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? about $100

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Sexualities in Film and Lit of Latin America
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Be open to meeting new people, especially Chileans, rather than limiting your social time to hanging out with your fellow Americans.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The days on which we shadowed chilean healthcare professionals were certainly the most memorable and noteworthy.
* What could be improved?
  • There were some problem with scheduling and miscommunication between the IES center and the class that we had at the univeristy.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I didn't realize that so much of the clinical observation internship class was actually going to be in a classroom seminar setting rather than in healthcare establishments. We spent 5 full days in the patient setting over the course of about 6 weeks of class.