Location

Alicante, Prague, Spain, Czech Republic

Program Description

Are you interested in a career in healthcare, public health, or public policy? Do you wonder why our healthcare system is the way it is and why it’s not more like the universal healthcare systems that you hear about in other countries? Every country in the world takes a different approach to designing and implementing their healthcare systems. What better way to learn about varying perspectives on healthcare than to visit and talk to the people who live and work within them.   

This course will take you to Spain and Czech Republic where we will learn about their healthcare systems and compare and contrast them with the US approach to healthcare. While in each country you will experience the culture that helps shape the healthcare system, meet with healthcare professionals, visit health clinics, and learn about some of the things that make different healthcare systems unique.

This is a discussion based, problem solving focused course where we learn from experiencing and talking with the people who know their healthcare systems best. Your exploration of universal healthcare in two Europe countries will give you a new perspective though which to view the strengths and weaknesses of US healthcare.  

Location Description

Nestled on the dazzling Mediterranean Sea, Alicante is rich in Spanish flavor, with a Gothic castle, colorful old quarter, and its palm-lined promenade, Explanada de Espana, which is paved with 6.6 million tricolored tiles. The Castle of Santa Barbara and the port of Alicante are just a couple of the exciting places to explore. Our home base in Alicante will be on the main campus of the Universidad de Alicante in San Vincente in the northwestern region of the city.

Prague, the City of a Hundred Spires, lives up to its reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Cobblestone streets, ancient bridges, a hilltop castle, and architecture from every period and style display the rich history of this vibrant city. Our home base in Prague is located at Vyšehrad, at the top of one of Prague’s highest hills, within medieval castle walls, in a beautiful park-like setting about 15 minutes from the Old Town area.

Each of these countries has a universal healthcare system, but that doesn’t mean that they do things the same. They each embrace different types of traditional and alternative medicine, and have varying policies and structures that impact healthcare delivery. The last time the World Health Organization ranked healthcare systems Spain ranked #7, the US ranked #37, and Czech Republic ranked #48. With rich culture and history, combined with modern amenities of large cities, there is so much to explore and learn in these beautiful countries.

Director

Jill Lassiter | lassitjw@jmu.edu | Health Sciences

Accommodations

Accommodations in each country will be shared (double or triple occupancy) hotel rooms that are centrally located in the host cities. They will include free wifi and breakfast. Hotels will be within walking distance of restaurants and popular attractions, or within close proximity to public transportation. Students will be provided with a public transportation pass.

All meals are provided as part of the program. These will include breakfast at the hotel, a group welcome and departure meal, and a meal stipend to cover all lunches and dinners that are not arranged for the group.

Additional Items to Consider

We will have a handful of mandatory meetings prior to departure to familiarize ourselves with the basics of the US healthcare system and the World Health Organization criteria for rating healthcare systems. 

There is no pre-requisite for this course; you do not have to be a health sciences major or have taken any health class to succeed in this course. Our pre-departure work will give us a common baseline for understanding the basics of healthcare systems and prepare us for our travels and studies in Europe. 

We will spend one week in each country, during which time we will participate in approximately six different healthcare experiences per country (e.g. lectures, site visits, discussions with providers). These will focus on both a general understanding of healthcare policy and implementation in each country, as well as unique aspects of healthcare that may be less familiar to American students.  We will also participate in a variety of cultural experiences in each country (e.g. cooking class, castle tour, museum, beach trip, etc.).    

Students are required to have a passport that is valid for 6-months after the program end date.

There are no visas or special immunizations required to visit these countries.

Transportation to and from the airport is provided for students arriving with the group.

Each student will be required to bring a cell phone with international connectivity, as well as a tablet or laptop to complete academic work.  

We will be partnering with CIEE, the country’s largest and oldest nonprofit study abroad and cultural exchange organization. CIEE will help to coordinate our in-country experiences, provide translation services, arrange housing and in-country transportation, and provide emergency support. 

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0

No language requirement

Open to all undergraduate class levels

There is no pre-requisite for this course; you do not have to be a health sciences major or have taken any health class to succeed in this course

Open to JMU students only