Health and Premed Programs

Middlebury students are encouraged to meet with an advisor for health professions in the Center for Careers and Internships for guidance on preparation for a career in health professions.

Sciences

Science courses are available at many of the Middlebury Schools Abroad in the language of the host country.

English-Speaking University Options

There are many direct enrollment opportunities for premed students at U.K. and Irish universities, as well as at universities in Australia and New Zealand.

Premed

The following are several examples of study abroad programs geared toward premed students and students who are interested in global health and/or public health:

Middlebury School in Chile

• The Middlebury School in Chile offers course work and practicum experience in a Chilean public health clinic.
• Program students have access to clinical simulations, both with computer-based scenarios and in laboratories, carried out with a cohort of Chilean students.
• This is a rare opportunity for guaranteed access to clinical experience in the Chilean public health system. More information

Denmark: DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen: Medical Practice and Policy Program

• Gain an insider view of university hospitals and clinics in Copenhagen and exposure to the daily practice of physicians, including recording patient history and solving clinical cases.
• Perform physical examinations and procedures on medical phantoms, such as blood drawing, IV entry, suturing, and ultrasound.
• Compare and contrast health care and medical practice in newly reformed countries versus welfare state systems by visiting hospitals, clinics, and research institutions on study tours in Denmark and Western and Eastern Europe. More information

Denmark: DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen: Biomedicine

• Get hands-on experience through the Drug Development Project by interviewing and researching a Scandinavian biomedical company about their products and technology.
• Gain insight into world-leading biotechnology research and development while on faculty-led study tours.
• Visit leading biotechnology companies and research institutions to learn about new-generation biopharmaceuticals. More information

Denmark: DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen: Public Health

• Examine what determines the setting of priorities for healthcare provision and the relationship between the many stakeholders involved in policy making and delivery of health services.
• Access real-life and current debates within the Danish healthcare system by presenting a semester long research project in collaboration with a Danish public health institution.
• While on course-integrated study tours, compare and contrast national healthcare systems in Eastern and Western Europe. More information

Sweden: DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Stockholm: Medical Practice and Policy

• Explore case studies that bridge research and clinical breakthroughs within acute and chronic diseases, and investigate how diagnostic tools and treatment strategies are developed through the dynamic relationships between clinicians, physicians, and scientists.
• Perform physical examinations and procedures on medical phantoms, such as blood drawing, IV entry, and suturing at clinical training centers in Stockholm.
• Travel with DIS on course-integrated study tours to visit clinical and diagnostic hospital departments and research institutions, and gain insight into clinical practices, translational research, and the lives of research doctors. More information

Sweden: DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Stockholm: Public Health

• Analyze the challenges and opportunities that migration presents to the Swedish healthcare system.
• Travel with your classmates and DIS faculty on course-integrated study tours to compare and contrast Swedish and European approaches to migration and health.
• Engage in debate on the burning issues surrounding integration of asylum seekers, refugees, and other migrant groups and its impact on health care and other social services in Europe. More information

Multiple Countries: SIT Study Abroad IHP Health and Community

• SIT’s IHP Health and Community study abroad programs offer a comparative perspective on some of the most challenging health issues around the world. These intellectually stimulating and experientially rich programs can jump-start your graduate education or career in public health, medicine, anthropology, international development, or a related field.
• Compare strategies of health and community across four radically different country contexts and at global and local scales, through case studies, ethnographic research, and visits with a diverse array of health practitioners and local activists. Countries/itineraries vary:
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  Spring 1
  Spring 2

SIT Study Abroad Kenya: Global Health and Human Rights

• This program examines health and human rights in Kenya through a complex constellation of urban issues including housing, urban infrastructures, land tenure, informal settlements, food (in)security in the city, and evictions.
• Students consider demographics, public health education, HIV/AIDS, health issues of orphaned and vulnerable children, women’s healthcare needs, differential access to healthcare, and mental healthcare, among other topics, in various cultural contexts.
• Students examine Kenya’s healthcare challenges, practices, and systems, in both rural and urban contexts, together with analyses of locally informed debates surrounding human rights. More information

SIT Study Abroad South Africa: Community Health and Social Policy

• This program focuses on topics such as the relationship between traditional healing and state-of-the-art medicine, prenatal care, access to health care, and health education. Students consider how various health paradigms—ranging from biomedical to holistic—and health policies have achieved mixed results in addressing the healthcare needs of South African people.
• The program base of Durban, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, serves as a nexus of health teaching, research, and practice in both allopathic and traditional healing systems. Students receive lectures from academics and leaders of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), many of whom are on the cutting edge of research and policy development in South Africa. More information

CIEE Botswana: Community Public Health

• With one of Africa’s most vital health care systems, Botswana is an ideal place to explore regional social and scientific health issues.
• Learn from successes and failures as you visit and assist at clinics, public health nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and hospitals.
• Course work, community outreach, language learning, homestays, and more will open this inspirational country to you and stay with you always. More information

CIEE Thailand: Community Public Health

• Visit healthcare centers, hospitals, specialized HIV/AIDS hospice wards, and the Ministry of Public Health for a closer look at Thai medical practices.
• Explore Wat Pho, a Buddhist temple were Thai traditional medicine is practiced, and connect with people living with HIV/AIDS.
• Travel to a second country like Laos, Indonesia, or Vietnam to help you put Thai public health in context.
• Visit rural, semirural, and urban communities to explore the different health issues each one faces. More information

England: King’s College London: Health and Society

• The Health and Society course (MX1000) offers a valuable learning opportunity for undergraduate students, interested in studying medicine at the premed level.
• The course is particularly suitable for those registered or thinking of registering for their medical degrees and is offered in conjunction with other elective modules as part of the King’s College London Study Abroad Programme.
• The Health and Society course is the first in the U.K. to offer an integrated curriculum including the social, ethical, and anthropological perspectives underpinning practice.
• The course combines an in-class curriculum with a range of shadowing opportunities in different clinical settings. More information

Contact

Stacey Thebodo, Associate Director International Programs and Off-Campus Study Sunderland 129 802-443-5745

Hannah Benz, Assistant Director, Health Professions and STEM
Adirondack House 802-443-5804