Study Abroad and Away

Pre-health students face additional challenges in fitting a study abroad or study away experience into their degree program. With the need to complete a year of General Chemistry, a year of Organic Chemistry, and a semester of Biochemistry before taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) at the end of the junior year, options are reduced. When coupled with the need for job shadowing and other healthcare experiences that can be important in applications for admission to professional healthcare schools, students must sometimes make choices.

One option that some have discovered is to combine a study abroad or study away experience in the context of healthcare experience or preceptorship. Global Initiatives - Education Abroad/Away is a great resource for researching and finding a program that can suit their needs. They offer a variety of programs, including both credit and non-credit programs, faculty-led programs, exchange programs, programs during the academic year or winter/summer programs, and more.

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a Costa Rica Medical Immersion opportunity during Winter term in which students can complete their foreign language requirement in Spanish while obtaining an international healthcare experience.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our relationship with St. John's Medical College in Bangalore, India, and the Mallory-Wilson Center is working on re-establishing our Observership in India program for pre-healthcare students at Miami University. It provides significant, in-depth, first-hand healthcare experience. During the winter term 3-week preceptorship, students spend time in rural, urban, and hospital settings as they shadow physicians and medical students.

In addition, this program can be used by Global Health minors to satisfy the off-campus experience component of GHS 401: Global Health Experience.

For more information on this program, contact Dr. Carlin.