2022 Faculty Led Study Abroad Programs

3 & 4 Star Accommodations, 5 Star Hotel & Spa Tours and Treatment Options, 2 nights in Chianti Winery Villa, 2 nights in Olive Mill Villa, Artisan Bread Demonstration and Tasting, Olive Oil, Pasta, Cheese, and Sausage Making, Wine Tours and Tastings, Group Dinners Including Dinner at Michelin Star Rated Restaurant, Beach Day, Shopping, and Night Life. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in the program fees?

Airfare, hotels, ground transportation, all breakfasts, some dinners, all events and activities. Excludes: Gratuities, Alcoholic Beverages, and Lunches

Will I have to share a room?  If so, with how many others? 

Yes based on Double Occupancy, Some accommodations share up to 4 people. Single rooms available for additional cost.

Will I have to share bathroom facilities?  If so, with how many others?  yes

What meals are included in the trip and what meals do I have to pay for myself? 

All breakfast, one lunch, some Dinners outlined in itinerary and syllabus. Suggested meal allowance of $10 per day for supplemental meals. 

 

 

 

This course contains a Civic Engagement component coordinated by The Medical Electives Network, the third-party Medical Spanish institute in Trujillo, Peru where all international classroom instruction will take place. Medical Electives holds weekly community health fairs every Friday providing free medicine and consultation to low-income communities. Each health fair is different, with anywhere from 60-100 patients and a variety of reasons for seeking services. Students will attend two health fairs (7/22, 7/29) during the international component to assist with translation and gain direct exposure to the socioeconomic challenges and health threats that characterize Trujillo’s low-income population (and developing nations generally). Additionally, students will participate at least once in Medical Elective’s Abuela’s Kitchen outreach program, which provides 600 free meals monthly to seniors in extreme poverty in La Esperanza District.

Students are responsible for getting to Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) on July 16, 2022, where they will fly to Trujillo, Peru via the capital city of Lima. Their return flight from Trujillo leaves August 4, 2022 and arrives in Fort Lauderdale the morning of August 5, 2022.

Group transportation to cultural activities and community outreach is provided through The Medical Electives Network, in addition to airport pickup/dropoff. Any transportation used by students during their free time (i.e., non-course related activities) is at their own expense.

The Medical Electives Network will provide each student with a Peruvian homestay in the quaint La Merced neighborhood of Trujillo within a five minute walking distance of the school. Homestays include room, board, meals (breakfast and lunch only), a private room and bathroom access, Cable TV, WiFi internet, and a house key for 24-hour entrance. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What expenses are included in the program costs? Program costs include international travel (airfare), airport pickup/dropoff, homestay accommodations with two meals daily, 3 weeks of General Spanish and Medical Spanish instruction, a Spanish textbook and all course materials, participation in civic engagement (weekly community health fair, daily food kitchen), group transport to and from cultural activities, group museum, activity, or excursion fees, weekly cooking lessons, a local cell phone number, a complimentary gym membership, salsa lessons, or yoga classes, and basic travel insurance.  

Are there any language requirements to participate on this program?  There is no language requirement to take this course; however, students receive daily Spanish-language instruction as part of the international component of this class. That said, it is highly recommended that prospective students have at least basic proficiency with Spanish. 

Will the program include opportunities to learn the local language?

The international component of the course provides constant immersion in the Spanish language and Peruvian culture. Students receive daily Spanish-language instruction in a classroom setting each morning, practice their skills in afternoons during cultural activities and trips, and return home each evening to relax and converse with their homestay family.

What will a typical day or week involve (both academic and cultural experience? A typical day starts with breakfast at your homestay followed by General Spanish, Medical Spanish, and classroom learning to discuss daily themes and topics. Students return to their homestays at noon to enjoy lunch with their local families and return to the school at 2pm for the planned cultural activity. Each afternoon’s activity concludes around 5pm with evenings consisting of free time, which you may spend at your homestay or out exploring nightlife in Trujillo and nearby Huanchaco Beach with classmates. On Fridays mornings, students participate in Medical Electives’ weekly community health fair and/or food kitchen, after which they are dismissed (around noon) for the weekend. No mandatory group activities will be planned from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. Students may use their weekend free time to travel to other regions of Peru as long as they return on time for class Monday mornings each week.

What are the accommodations? The Medical Electives Network will provide each student with a Peruvian homestay in the quaint La Merced neighborhood of Trujillo within a five minute walking distance of the school. Homestays include room, board, meals (breakfast and lunch only), a private room, Cable TV, WiFi internet, and a house key for 24-hour access.

Will I have to share a room?  If so, with how many others?  While you have the option to share a homestay with fellow students, you will be provided with a private room.

What meals are included in the trip and what meals do I have to pay for myself?  Homestays include breakfast and lunch, as well as teas and coffees upon request. The Medical Electives Network campus also offers complimentary coffees, teas, and occasional meals and drinks on days when they hold cooking classes. Additionally, students will be treated to a welcome dinner upon arrival and one upon departure, which is included in the trip. Not covered are any individual expenses students incur during cultural activities (e.g., gifts, souvenirs, food, beverages) or free time.  

 

This study abroad experience will provide students with the opportunity to explore healthcare through a comparative lens, by comparing and contrasting European healthcare systems with the U.S. healthcare system. Students will visit two countries in Europe, Switzerland and Italy, to explore the history of the development of healthcare, how the healthcare system has evolved over time, the role of government in healthcare, the relationship between culture and health, and the current trends and state of healthcare in each country. Students will be immersed in the different challenges and solutions to healthcare in Europe, including healthcare delivery, organization models, funding models, workforce issues, and outcomes. The in-depth view of European healthcare will be provided through classroom discussion, guest lectures from healthcare professionals, and site visits to healthcare facilities in each country.

Students will secure their own flights from the US to Europe; Students will meet with program faculty at a designated place and time at the airport in Geneva, Switzerland and the program provider will provide transportation to the first accommodation; The program provider will also provide transportation to the airport in Rome, Italy at the end of the trip. Students will travel back to the US on their own. All in-country transportation is provided via Coach buses by the program provider. Lodging will be provided by the program provider in hotels or hostels; Breakfasts and some other meals are included in the program as will be noted on the itinerary; other meals will be at the students’ own expense.

Sample Itinerary 

What expenses are included in the program costs?  The program fee covers all accommodations during the program, all breakfasts, wi-fi, all in-country transportation, and group lunches or dinners as noted on the itinerary.

What other expenses are not included in program costs?  Students are responsible for their own transportation to/from Europe and for any meals not noted on the program itinerary.   

Will I have to share a room?  If so, with how many others?  Yes, students will share rooms, 2 to 4 per room.

In partnership with Project Amazonas, a nonprofit NGO focusing on health and conservation in the Amazon, we will travel down the Amazon by boat and visit numerous field research stations and rural settlements.  Students will be introduced to major ecological, medical, and cultural issues facing the Amazon, which is one of the most biologically and culturally diverse areas of the world.  Students will also gain the background and skills to pilot preliminary research and/or service-learning projects and will be encouraged to consider how to develop and expand on these projects in this region in future semesters.  The remainder of the trip will be split between coastal Peru and the Peruvian highlands. The class will start in and around Lima, where students will visit archeological sites, such as the Norte Chico complex, fog forests, and colonial district in Lima. The trip will conclude in the Peruvian highlands, where students will visit Cuzco, Machu Pichu, and cloud forests. Ultimately, the class will help students compare and contrast human and non-human experiences across of the incredibly diverse environments and communities that make up Peru.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in the program fees? Round trip airfare, all required in country transportation, all lodging, costs of all program activity admission, approximately half of all meals and more...

Is Spanish required to participate? No.

Will the program include opportunities to learn the language? Yes. There will be many opportunities to to learn and or improve Spanish skills.   

What are the accommodations? Clean and safe hotels while in Iquitos, Lima and Cusco. Much of the program will be located in the Amazon Basin at the Project Amazonas Field Stations. The field stations are "camp style" lodging with multiple beds per lodge and a communal dining and living area. These lodgings are frequently used to host international student groups. 

Are the rooms air-conditioned? There is no air conditioning at the Project Amazonas, Willingness to be acclimatized to an equatorial rain forest environment is essential to success in this program.

Will I have to share a room? If so, with how many others? Yes, in the cities student rooms will hold 2 to 4 students each. In the field stations, 3 to 8 students will bunk in the same camp style housing.

What meals are included?  All meals are provided while at the Amazon field stations. While in Iquitos, Lima and Cusco students must purchase their own meals, although breakfast is normally provided at the hotels. *Special diets can be accommodated.