Credits
6
Prerequisites
3 Semesters Spanish, Relevant Previous Coursework
Courses taught in
Spanish
Dates
Jun 5 – Jul 16
Program Countries
Argentina
Program Base
Buenos Aires
Critical Global Issue of Study
Global Health & Well-being
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Argentina
Epidemiology & Healthcare Management
(Filling; Apply by Apr 1, 2023)
Examine urban epidemiology, health inequalities, and analyze the challenges of managing health services and policies to expand access to healthcare in Buenos Aires.
At a Glance
Overview
Why Study Epidemiology in Argentina?
More than 30 percent of Argentina’s population lives in greater Buenos Aires, a city with marked contrasts in wealth and poverty and related disparities in health. Although health is a constitutional right and the country spends a high percentage of its GDP to fund a well-developed health care system, uninsured and low-income families struggle to access quality health care. Great efforts are still needed to make more efficient use of health care resources.
Excursions provide opportunities to compare epidemiological profiles and health service organizations in different areas. In Buenos Aires, you’ll visit private and public hospitals and community health centers to explore how epidemiology informs health management decisions, patterns and strategies, and explains how services are provided at different levels of care. In Mendoza, you will learn how primary healthcare data can help providers understand and improve access to health services as well as how local providers address health-related issues specific to the region. You will also develop your Spanish language skills through daily interaction with lecturers, healthcare practitioners, and host families.
Through SIT’s close partnership with ISALUD, the nation’s top health university and think tank, you will learn from senior officials, health professionals, and advocates.
Highlights
- Study in Buenos Aires, home to renowned health institutions.
- Learn about contemporary health management patterns, strategies, and challenges.
- Experience how scientific and technical knowledge is applied in managing health care in different contexts.
- Examine significant health disparities and learn how local healthcare providers manage the needs of local populations.
- Learn Spanish with a focus on public health.
Prerequisites
Previous college-level coursework or background in health sciences, political science, anthropology, sociology, or development studies. Three recent semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent and the ability to follow coursework and assignments in Spanish, as assessed by SIT.
Excursions
MENDOZA
Mendoza province’s well-established healthcare system is an excellent laboratory to analyze how different problems are managed by interdisciplinary teams, integrating efforts at different levels of care and the support of national, provincial, and local governments. During this six-day excursion, you will engage in collaborative research on selected case studies. Through visits to healthcare facilities and governmental health programs, and interviews with experts under the guidance of faculty members of the University of Aconcagua School of Medicine, you will gather information about epidemiological issues in the region, learn about patient management strategies, and discuss professional recommendations as you work on your case study research. You will also learn about the culture of Mendoza through visits to the Andes Mountains and the region’s famous vineyards.
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.
Academics
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Explain the role of epidemiology as a scientific discipline in the identification and analysis of health-related events and problems and as a tool for health service management.
- Describe the structural and dynamic aspects of the Argentine health system´s organization and analyze the role of primary health care and health services networking strategies in improving the quality of health services.
- Identify the organization and functioning of health care service units: protocols, goals definitions, activity planning, human resources, roles, information systems, and management patterns.
- Analyze local health-related events or problems and health care services responses such as demographic and health diagnoses; priorities based on the application of epidemiological techniques; health care facilities organization and management strategies.
- Apply epidemiology conceptual and methodological tools for the analysis of health problems affecting populations.
- Improve speaking, listening, and writing fluency in Spanish with a strong focus on health sciences.
Coursework
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.
Key Topics
- Health systems and health services organization
- Contemporary healthcare management based on epidemiology data
- Analysis of health-related events based on social determinants of health
- Monitoring and assessing health conditions
- Transmissible and chronic disease care management
- Healthcare access and health equity
Epidemiology and Health Services Management
Epidemiology and Health Services Management
Epidemiology and Health Services Management – syllabus
(IPBH-3000 / 3 credits)
Epidemiology is the discipline that studies the distribution, patterns, and social determinants of health-related events in a defined population. Epidemiology research tools contribute to the study, design, collection, and analysis of data and evaluates possible solutions that can be achieved through organized medical attention, encompassing preventive medicine and the rationality of curative and rehabilitation procedures.
The field of epidemiology encompasses technical procedures, study design, and elaboration of health policies. Epidemiology also involves health management, including the economic costs of different courses of action and ways to achieve cost-effective health services.
Students learn how epidemiology informs health management decisions, highlights contemporary patterns and strategies, and explains practices of services at different levels of care. Lectures, discussions, and field visits by medical doctors, academics, and health professionals help students develop the critical thinking skills. The course features Argentinian experts in epidemiology, public health, health management, healthcare service providers, and advocacy. Lectures are held at ISALUD University in Buenos Aires, with field visits in Buenos Aires and an excursion to Mendoza province.
Spanish for Health Science
Spanish for Health Science
Spanish for Health Science I – syllabus
(SPAN-2003 / 3 credits)
Spanish for Health Science II – syllabus
(SPAN-2503 / 3 credits)
Spanish for Health Science III – syllabus
(SPAN-3003 / 3 credits)
Spanish for Health Science IV – syllabus
(SPAN-3503 / 3 credits)
Students hone their speaking, reading, and writing skills through classroom and field instruction. They read professional health science literature and the formal terms and local expressions needed to discuss health policy issues, conduct field research, and interact in settings (such as clinics, community associations, and government offices) related to the program themes. Students are placed in small classes based on an in-country evaluation that tests both written and oral proficiency.
Homestays
Buenos Aires
Your Buenos Aires homestay begins during orientation and continues throughout the six-week program. Living with a host family gives you an excellent opportunity to practice Spanish and participate in daily life in your 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. All homestay sites have good access to ISALUD University.
Other Accommodations
Small hotels or hostels
Career Paths
Alumni of this program have gone on to:
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work in health services for immigrant populations, public health, and health research
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pursue a PhD program implementing a program of “narrative medicine” in La Paz, Bolivia
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conduct research as a Fulbright scholar in Mexico
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work with the Peace Corps in Peru
Faculty & Staff
Argentina: Epidemiology & Healthcare Management
Ana Rita Díaz-Muñoz, MA
Academic Director
Dana Merwaiss
Academic Coordinator
Valeria Lliubaroff
Academic Assistant
Discover the Possibilities
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Cost & Scholarships
SIT Study Abroad is committed to making international education accessible to all students. Scholarship awards generally range from $500 to $5,000 for semester programs and $500 to $3,000 for summer programs. This year, SIT will award nearly 1 million in scholarships and grants to SIT Study Abroad students.
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