IES Abroad Cape Town Summer – Health Studies

I had the time of my life studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa! The city has every type of vacation you could want in one: beaches, beautiful landscapes and mountains for hiking, a vibrant nightlife, downtown shopping, art, and events, historical sites and museums, vineyards and wine-tastings, and much more! There is so much to explore and the time truly flies by. For classes, I took community health, and nutrition & HIV. The teachers were passionate and engaging, and I learned so much from them not just about South African healthcare but also about their culture and life. The classes are fascinating and you truly learn a lot and are at times academically challenged. The final week of the program is class-free, and really just about traveling the country (including a safari!) before you unfortunately have to head back home. If you choose this program, you will make lifelong friends, live in the most incredible city on earth, and change your entire perspective on health, healthcare, and equality.

Before I left to study abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, I was expecting to learn about public health in a new setting. My experience in Cape Town exceeded all of my expectations. Arranged by IES, we lived in a new hotel/dorm setting in a safe and upscale area of Cape Town (it even had a market inside!). Every weekday, we did service learning at different hospitals and clinics around and outside of Cape Town. We were able to shadow doctors, dentists, physical therapists, and pharmacists. I learned more than I could ever possibly imaging through service learning, and I gained an appreciation for and better understanding of different fields in health care. In the afternoons, we took a class from a local professor. We got to learn about public health as a whole in South Africa, and I think the class really complemented our service learning. Outside of academics, IES arranged many amazing field trips that allowed us to explore South Africa in a safe way. I greatly appreciated all that IES did to ensure that we had a complete and safe study abroad experience. I really fell in love with the country, and I can't wait to return one day!

I am so incredibly happy that I decided to take this program. It involves a lot of field trips already scheduled within the program, consisting of all the places you have to see if you're in South Africa. If I were to schedule these things on my own, I wouldn't have known to cover every single item, and each experience was higher than my expectations ever were. We stayed in a nice and safe area, but it was also important to explore and understand the townships and the levels of disparity within the community. This experience really taught me a lot and showed me a lot into the life of South Africa. Shadowing the hospitals and clinics gave me a lot of insight into their health care system as well as different diseases or conditions patients face. My favorite part was the nature!! Table Mountain, Lion's Head, and Devil's Peak were always visible when you walk out your door, and hiking these three mountains gave amazing and unbelievable views. I highly recommend this location to anyone!!

Enjoy the perfect mix of education and fun in this magical city in one of the culturally richest countries in the world. To start you get to live in comfortable apartments in a gated community so on top of the luxury of the living arrangement you also get security. In my case we had roommates who inevitably became my best friends on the trip. Being so close to University of Cape Town you also get to be around college students from the area and surrounding regions of South Africa. With this close proximity it was easy to befriend and learn from locals about the real issues facing the people of South Africa. Half of the educational side of the abroad program is class and the other half is volunteer hours in the public healthcare system. Classes are focused on learning about the history and public healthcare system of South Africa and how South Africans are trying to change the system for the better of all people. Learning from people who currently are involved in reforming healthcare in South Africa made the course more engaging and meaningful to me and all my classmates. The volunteer work took place in a primary health clinic in Cape Town and allowed for hands-on experience with patients and engagement with fellow medical staff from doctors to nurses. Going in the summer for American students however means being in South Africa for their winter, but have no fear, the highs are around the 70s and lows around the 50s with occasional rain. Good news is the beautiful days outnumbered the rainy days and with each beautiful day comes a breathtaking sunset which can viewed from any number of beaches and mountain tops. Bottom line if you have any interest in healthcare like pre-med, pre-pharm, pre-PA, and nursing students or in public health you will not only get hands on experience in the field with your volunteer hours but also gain great insight into the issues facing the public healthcare system in South Africa and the rest of the world.

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I studied abroad in Cape Town for seven weeks this summer. It was the most amazing experience I have ever had. I took public health classes that focused on the different aspects of health care in South Africa. These classes were supplemented by being able to volunteer in both a primary and tertiary health care facility. I worked in a small public clinic in Cape Town along with a primary Hospital in Nelspruit. Volunteering in both of these were amazing experiences because I got to see all aspects of the healthcare system including; surgeries, the pharmacy, work done by both doctors and nurses along with the more specific public health facilities specializing in Tuberculosis. This program helped me confirm my desire to be a part of the healthcare system along with providing me with many other unforgettable experiences. Whenever I was not in class or volunteering I was taking advantage of all the wonderful sites at attractions Cape Town has to offer. I got to do so many amazing things including being on a beach with penguins, going to an ostrich farm, paragliding, going on wine tours, hiking, going on a safari and much more. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in any time of health related field and anyone who wants to live in the most beautiful place in the world for a summer.

This was a fantastic program for anyone interested in Public Health or Medicine. We were able to work in various hospital environments, observing much more than we as undergraduate students would be able to see in the United States. We also attended lectures that focused on health issues in South Africa, as well as the changing healthcare system. When we were not in class or at the hospital, IES organized many excursions and experiences that allowed us to make the most of our time in and around Cape Town. It was a great experience, and I would recommend it to everyone.

I did a 7 week long health studies program in Cape Town through IES. This included a a course about healthcare in South Africa as well as a service learning component in primary and tertiary hospitals in South Africa. The class component could have been better planned however I learned a lot from the service learning component. IES organized for us to observe at several healthcare clinics around Cape Town. We were able to experience a lot of things that we would not be able to observe in hospitals in the US. In addition IES did a good job planning activities for us the were included in the tuition fee such as a peninsula tour and wine tour.