Well, it finally happened! My new study abroad course was approved and I took my first set of graduate public health students to Vienna, Austria and London, England. This course was a new course that I have been working on for the past 3 years. It finally was placed into the ECU system and enough students enrolled in which I could make plans to travel abroad during the summer session.
The first part of this Summer I course was online in which my colleague in Public Health and I presented our lectures to the students. I lectured about the history of Austrian and England health care systems and my colleague lectured about the basic components of epidemiology. After the students completed their weekly assignments and took their Midterm exam, they were ready to travel abroad with me.
Here were the major course objectives:
- Examine and experience the countries of Austria and England.
- Evaluate and critique the major public health systems and policies of Austria and England.
- Develop a global public health initiative for a specific public health issue in either Austria or England.
For 2 weeks, my graduate students (Rebecca, LaKeisha, and Kami) and I visited and conducted public health fieldwork in the neighborhoods of Vienna, Austria and London, England. Wow!! What a great cultural experience and opportunity to observe, interact, engage and learn from local residents about their public health and medical systems!
Rebecca, LaKeisha, Kami and I in London
I highly RECOMMEND all students (graduate and undergraduate) to take the opportunity to travel abroad while they are still here at ECU! It will be well worth all the time and energy. The most important take away from my global public health study abroad experience is that my GRADUATE STUDENTS now see public health and medicine in a completely different way now!