Examine urban epidemiology and the challenges and inequities in public health policy in Buenos Aires, Mendoza, and Misiones.
16
3 semesters Spanish, Relevant previous coursework
Spanish
Spanish
Aug 27 – Dec 9
Argentina
Buenos Aires
Global Health & Well-being
Development & Inequality
In the capital of Buenos Aires and its surrounding areas, you will explore how Argentina’s healthcare system is organized by interacting with professionals and experts and examining the national Ministry of Health’s stewardship of the system. You will visit a variety of providers, from small community healthcare centers to the largest and most complex pediatric hospital in the country.
Excursions to the provinces of Mendoza and Misiones will provide an opportunity to compare healthcare services and systems in different areas. In Mendoza, a resource-rich province bordered by the Andes Mountains, learn about using primary healthcare to improve access to health services. You will visit different types of primary healthcare centers in urban and semi-urban settings and learn about “health agents” who work to establish bridges between communities in semi-rural areas with health services.
In Misiones, an impoverished northern province bordering Brazil and Paraguay, you will learn about the role of social and community organizations in promoting the health of marginalized populations, such as Indigenous communities and urban settlements. You will analyze the efforts and contributions of civil society in the field of healthcare and its articulations with the state. Misiones is also home to Iguazú Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which you will have the opportunity to explore. You will also learn Spanish language skills related to public health issues and practice through daily interactions with lecturers, healthcare practitioners, and host families.
Three recent semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent and the ability to follow coursework in Spanish, as assessed by SIT. At least one college-level course in public or global health, medicine, nursing, development studies, anthropology, sociology, psychology, community development, environmental science, social sciences, or other related fields recommended but not required.
Although considered one of the most impoverished provinces in Argentina with some of the worst health outcomes, Misiones maintains a consolidated public health system. During this six-day excursion, you will learn how the provincial health system is organized and how government and non-government institutions complement their efforts to bring health and social services to vulnerable populations. You will study the most pressing health problems in the province as you learn about healthcare program access. You will engage with the Tekohá Ysyry, Mbya Indigenous community to learn about their culture, roots, and the concept of cosmovision. The excursion includes visits to Iguazú Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the ruins of the Jesuit Missions where, during the 17th century, missionaries worked to evangelize the Indigenous people, the Guaraníes.
Mendoza’s health system has long used primary healthcare to make health services more accessible. The six-day excursion will focus on how this strategy is implemented. You will visit urban and rural communities and meet with public health professionals, health promoters, social security health services, private health providers, and other stakeholders. There, you will visit a rural medical system of “health agents” and enjoy a mountainous and sunny environment at the Potrerillos Dam. At the Universidad de Cuyo, you will discuss Mendoza’s epidemiological profile and health and social policies with experts and be mentored by students from the university’s school of medicine.
Located in the province of Buenos Aires, Tigre is a riverside getaway and the point of entry of Paraná Delta, one of the largest deltas in the world. With its labyrinthine network of islands and canals, it is a unique biodiverse environment offering a completely different landscape from the city. This incredible natural reserve is at risk by river pollution and the advancement of luxury real estate developments.
During a two-day excursion, you will discover this unique natural environment and learn about the challenges that water contamination and changes in river flows pose to healthy living conditions for lower-income populations.
On site visits you will hear from a community health center in one of Tigre’s most impacted neighborhoods and from social actors involved in addressing health problems that cross poverty and damaged environments. You will also have the chance to discuss the role of the environment in sustainable development.
Get to know the capital of the province of Buenos Aires, one of the few cities in Latin America that was planned even before it was inhabited; a city that has one of the most important universities of the country. Here we learn about the work of non-governmental organizations advocating for the elderly. We incorporate tools to analyze how cities can be more age-friendly and how to achieve active and healthy aging. We talk with the elderly who are beneficiaries of public policies, and experts from the National University of La Plata.
Please note that SIT will make every effort to maintain its programs as described. To respond to emergent situations, however, SIT may have to change or cancel programs.
Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:
The following syllabi are representative of this program. Because courses develop and change over time to take advantage of dynamic learning opportunities, actual course content will vary from term to term.
The syllabi can be useful for students, faculty, and study abroad offices in assessing credit transfer. Read more about credit transfer.
Epidemiology and Social Determinants of Health – syllabus
(IPBH3000 / 3 credits)
This interdisciplinary seminar focuses on Argentina’s epidemiological profile. Students explore the relationship between urban environments and the health of city residents. While recent public health sector achievements have improved the living conditions of many urban dwellers, great inequalities and inequities in health still exist. Through readings, lectures, and educational site visits, students critically analyze contemporary health challenges as they relate to epidemiology and social determinants of health. All coursework is conducted in Spanish.
Health Systems, Policies and Programs – syllabus
(IPBH3005 / 3 credits)
In this seminar, students explore the emergence of healthcare systems and policies within Argentina’s broader social, political, and economic history. Students examine healthcare at different scales of analysis, comparing national, provincial, and local health systems as well as private, public, and socialized healthcare throughout the country. Students investigate firsthand the disparities in health and equity as they research alternative policies designed to reduce inequality. All coursework is conducted in Spanish.
Public Health Research Methods and Ethics – syllabus
(IPBH3500 / 3 credits)
This research methods course is designed to prepare students for an Independent Study Project or internship. Through lectures, readings, and field activities, students learn and practice a range of methods appropriate for health-related research. They examine the ethical issues surrounding field research related to health issues and medicine and are guided through the World Learning / SIT Human Subjects Review process, which forms a core component of the course. By the end of the course, students will have chosen a research topic or internship placement, selected appropriate methods, and written a solid proposal for an Independent Study Project or internship related to the program themes. All coursework is conducted in Spanish.
Spanish for the Health Sciences I – syllabus
(SPAN2003 / 3 credits)
Spanish for the Health Sciences II – syllabus
(SPAN2503 / 3 credits)
Spanish for the Health Sciences III – syllabus
(SPAN3003 / 3 credits)
Spanish for the Health Sciences IV – syllabus
(SPAN3503 / 3 credits)
In this course, students hone their speaking, reading, and writing skills through classroom and field instruction. They practice reading professional health science literature as they learn the formal terms and local expressions needed to discuss health policy issues, to conduct field research, and to interact in settings related to the program themes (such as clinics, community associations, and government offices). Students are placed in small classes based on an in-country evaluation that tests both written and oral proficiency.
Choose one of the following two courses.
Independent Study Project – syllabus
(ISPR3000 / 4 credits)
Conducted in Buenos Aires or in another approved location appropriate to the project, the Independent Study Project offers students the opportunity to conduct field research on a topic of their choice within the program’s thematic parameters. The project integrates learning from the various components of the program and culminates in a final presentation and formal research paper. Sample topic areas: health problems associated with urban lifestyles, grassroots advocacy and healthcare services; AIDS policy and care; public health consequences of environmental contamination; gender and reproductive rights; challenges to achieving sustainable development goals in Argentina; healthcare access among immigrant populations.
Sample ISP topic areas:
Browse this program’s Independent Study Projects / undergraduate research.
OR
Internship and Seminar – syllabus
(ITRN3000 / 4 credits)
This seminar consists of a four-week internship working with a local social organization, health services and research institutions in the City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires province, Tucumán or Mendoza. The aim of the internship is to enable the student to gain valuable work experience and to enhance their skills in an international work environment. Students will complete an internship and submit a paper in which they process their learning experience on the job, analyze an issue important to the organization, and/or design a project or activity that address a need identified by the organization. An internship advisor/mentor appropriate to the organization/institution is also selected. Mentors are usually host country research professionals. During the internship, students will have the opportunity to participate in two workshops to share and reflect on their experience in the field and discuss their work progress. In conducting their internship students directly utilize the concepts and skills of field-based learning. The internship will be conducted in Spanish.
Sample internships
The Buenos Aires homestay begins during orientation and continues throughout the semester. Living with a host family gives you an excellent opportunity to practice your Spanish and partake in daily life in a local neighborhood. Host families come from different social and cultural backgrounds and live in various neighborhoods around the city, such as Almagro, Caballito, Monserrat, Barrio Norte, and Palermo. They play a key role in facilitating your cultural immersion and social integration into city life. All homestay sites have good access to ISALUD University.
Small hotels or hostels
Alumni of this program are:
working in health and social services for immigrant populations.
evaluating public health programs at The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington, DC
in a PhD program implementing a program of "narrative medicine" in La Paz, Bolivia.
conducting research as a Fulbright scholar in Mexico.
working in a maternal health literacy program
working with the Peace Corps in Peru.
SIT Study Abroad is committed to ensuring that international education is within reach for all students. We believe in the transformative power of immersive, intercultural experiences and are dedicated to supporting students in their educational journey.
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