Description:

Study Program

Interhealth South America has been coordinating study and service programs in Ecuador for North American health professions students and resident physicians since 1999. The program encompasses direct patient care, as well as an onsite introduction to Ecuadorian and South American primary, community, and public health services. In addition, emphasis is placed on medical Spanish language acquisition, with practical skills development in patient interviewing and examination. The format provides guided group and individual clinic experiences and service in global health, coordinated with immersion language learning.

Program Objectives

Participants are introduced to key principles in the practice of medicine and service beyond North America, and provided an interpretative framework for current and future individual clinic and other healthcare. The course location in Ecuador allows opportunities for interactions and work with local practitioners serving at-risk populations in a variety of natural environments. Supplementary seminars bridge ideas and potential applications for domestic health care, in addition to work overseas. Specialized language training, and patient interviewing, examination, and diagnosing in Spanish throughout the time of the program are as well are of considerable clinical utility at home.

Service Orientation

Interhealth South America provides direct ongoing support of Ecuadorian organizations in their efforts with community health development. Through interactions with health professionals, student and resident physician participants work in patient care and community-based programs in resource-scarce environments.

Program Elements

Participation in individualized clinic and hospital activities

Patient care in group health brigades in urban and rural underserved communities

Observation of local practitioners’ work in primary and community health programs

Interactive participation in traditional/indigenous health activities

Seminar and participatory introduction to problems of healthcare provision in South America

Health study tours of Andes Mountains and Amazon River basin rain forest sites demonstrating a variety of natural and human-created environments

Medical Spanish language instruction

Introduction to patient interviewing and examination techniques in Spanish

Family Homestay for a portion of the program

Organizational Base: Tampa, Florida