Medicine Study Abroad Programs in Argentina

Nous avons vécu une excellente expérience de stage grâce à l’association Mente Argentina. Ils nous ont accompagnés à chaque étape de notre projet : organisation du voyage, aide pour trouver un hôpital afin d’effectuer notre stage infirmier, et soutien tout au long de notre séjour. En plus de l’aspect professionnel, l’association a également organisé plusieurs repas dans différents restaurants de Buenos Aires, ce qui nous a permis de découvrir la culture locale et de rencontrer des habitants. Grâce à leur professionnalisme, leur disponibilité et leur bienveillance, notre expérience a été à la fois enrichissante sur le plan professionnel et humain. Nous recommandons vivement Mente Argentina à toute personne souhaitant réaliser un stage à l’étranger en toute sérénité.

I decided to study abroad in Argentina to increase my Spanish proficiency, but got so much more out of my experience. The program exceeded my expectations, and I learned so much during my time abroad. Not only was a paired with an amazing host mother, but I also was supported by a great on-sight coordinator. With API I took classes as the University of Salvador, as well as created a community with others studying abroad. API promoted me to travel, learn new things about the Argentinian culture, practice speaking Spanish, and get valuable recommendations for my time abroad. I cannot recommend this program more.

Hi! Before studying abroad I'd never been on a plane before and now I've been on 14. I got the opportunity of a lifetime and took it. I saw and experienced so many new and amazing things. You need to study abroad in BA!

I had the most transformative 5 months of my life while living in Buenos Aires, Argentina! I was able to meet so many amazing people, travel, improve my language skills, and learn and live in a new culture.

Studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the most rewarding experience I've ever had. As a biology major on a pre-med track, I chose this program because it offered the unique opportunity to gain clinical hours while also learning medical Spanish terminology. This experience has been incredibly beneficial for my future career. The doctors and professors were exceptionally welcoming and supportive, making the program even more amazing.

I was going on a semester abroad through out the organisation Mente Argentina in Buenos Aires. Since the beginning I had really good and fluent contact with Mente. They helped me a lot with figuring out my specific situation which I really value and appreciate. The reponses always came quite quick and have been detailed. I arrived with a good feeling in Buenos Aires. Few minutes after my arrival, a worker from Mente showed up and gave me a starter kit, with a Sim Card, a guide and a cash exchange which made my start really easy. For any matters or upcoming problems Mente has been available and fixed them quite quickly. Through the good network of Mente, I quickly made friends and had the opportunity to be part of a language school and my university programm. Mente organised multiple events every week. The events have been quite interesting and were definetly a lot of fun! Since today I am grateful that I met so many people and good friends through Mente. With their helpful and open attitude the people in the Mente Team became good friends as well. I will definetly recommend anybody to benefit from the organisation Mente Argentina, especially if a semester abroad in the city of Buenos Aires sounds interesting :)

The best 5 months of my life that I have ever experience. My whole study abroad experience has been great. I learned so much from my time abroad and it has really changed the way I perceive my life and my perspective of life. I met a lot new people from different culture and made a bunch of new friends. My program director, Gabriela Gamper, made it possible for me to learn and experience the Argentine culture to the fullest. She was really awesome. The whole experience was a lot to take in at first but it becomes a lot easier to handle later. I highly recommend that everyone should take the opportunity to go or study abroad.

My experience in Argentina was something that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my life. I learned an incredible amount, gained self-confidence/reliance, and widened my perspective. The program was very good at offering a wide variety of experiences, and the value for the payment was extremely high. My program coordinator Gabriela Gamper was crucial in making the time as good as it was. I have her to thank for the quality of my experience. I firmly believe that if Everyone went abroad for an extended period, the world would be a better place.

I had an amazing time. Pre-program, there were lots of materials to look at and guidance on insurance and safety measures which was very useful. I emailed with the on site program director, Gabrielle Gamper before flying into AR and got a lot of helpful advice. While I was there, she treated me to lunch individually to check in with me when I was feeling homesick, sent me grocery and empanada deliveries when I was quarantining with covid. (I got Covid while abroad when I traveled by plane to northern Argentina for a vacation and had to quarantine for 10 days or so, and ISA was very helpful and Gaby was so kind and thoughtful. I loved my homestay and that ended up being one of the best parts of my experience. However, I had some friends who didn’t end up loving their homestay families and ISA was very accommodating and moved students around as necessary with the students best interest in mind. The planned excursions were highlights of my trip and I loved all the different places we went: Eva Perón Museum, Delta River, Iguazu Falls, Recoleta Cemetary, the MALBA (museo america latina buenos aires), San Telmo mercado, a gaucho ranch, and more.

My trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina was amazing. I spent five weeks there and completed the medical Spanish immersion program. This was a great opportunity to shadow doctors and learn about healthcare in a different country. I learned many Spanish medical terms and spent time watching doctors care for patients in the ICU, urgent care, the operating room, and the pediatrics unit. Aside from the educational part of the trip, ISA did a great job of planning excursions and activities to ensure we were fully immersed in the Argentine culture. Some of my favorite things we did included a tango class, a trip to a ranch where we rode horses and had “asado”, and a boat trip to the port with a great meal. My friends and I also planned our own trip to Iguazu Falls (one of the 7 wonders of nature). Overall, ISA did a great job ensuring we had good host families (I loved my host mom), lived in safe areas, and most of all made sure we connected with the students who were also on the trip (along with the locals). I made great friends during my program and still keep in touch with them!

I was very nervous before going into this process, I'd heard all about the things of culture shock and not having the best host family, but I could not be happier to say that none of this was true when I went to Argentina. I had the best experience getting to Argentina, meeting my host family, and adjusting to the culture. My host family went above and beyond to make sure I knew how to work public transportation and exchange my currency. The university had amazing teachers and I enjoyed both of the classes I took during my time in Buenos Aires. I met so many amazing people there; from my program, other programs, and even locals that I still talk to today. This was probably one of the most memorable experiences I've ever been able to be a part of and I hope that I get the opportunity to go back to Argentina someday. I highly recommend to anyone looking to travel abroad to do it, even if you don't go to Argentina, go abroad somewhere. I promise you you will not regret it and you will make so many memories that you will forever hold on to, I know I will.

The ISA program in Buenos Aires is a valuable experience! I cannot recommend going abroad, especially in South America enough. The city was welcoming and warm, and the metropolis always offered something to do. Whether you are more interested in music, art, science or history, Buenos Aires has options. The ISA staff (shoutout to Gaby) was always attentive and available to help with anything I needed. The University of Belgrano was housed in a safe neighborhood and had interesting course offerings. I was able to meet people from around the world there. It is a great environment to learn about Latin American culture and history, and the people are always friendly and willing to help you out with your Spanish. With lots to do in the city, a whole semester can fly by, but I appreciated that the ISA staff also had recommendations for trips to do in all of Argentina. I fully recommend not only coming to Latin America but seeing as much as possible while you are here. Even after a month back in the US, I find myself missing the life in Buenos Aires.

Tremendous staff. Environment is like none other and they accommodate well. For Seville, the city has been tremendous and CIEE gives you a proper introduction to this magnificent city. Whether an intern or a student during one of the sessions, you can get along with everyone and overcome the anxieties of a new city

I would be very likely to recommend CIEE Study Abroad to a friend because this program gives you many opportunities to explore the city you are in as well as the surrounding areas. All of the employees are very kind people who will be their to uplift and support the students who are abroad.

This experience was an opportunity of a lifetime. My time within the 4-week CFHI program immersed me within the culture of Argentina and allowed me to experience a different side to medicine. Throughout the time I spent in Argentina, I learned so much about how their medical system operates and was able to learn more within medicine. The time in the hospital, I was able to rotate around to many different specialties like radiology, the emergency room, gastrology, and cardiology, which showed me many of the options that I have to further my studies in medicine. Although, the hardest part was the language barrier at times since I was not fluent in Spanish. Even with this present all the healthcare staff took their time to ensure that I understood what was occurring to help with my learning. Moreover, CFHI provided Spanish classes during the time of my program where I spent 2 hours a day learning the language. This helped me greatly as I developed a deeper understanding of the grammar but being completely immersed within the culture significantly helped me develop my Spanish speaking skills. I was always able to work on speaking when exploring the city and when I was spending time with my host family. Being with a host family was a great experience as I was able to spend so much time with them and they would show me hidden spots of the city and different aspects of the culture. They became my second family that I continue to stay in touch with as I am now back home. Overall, this experience was one that I would do again, and I will always remember what I learned here. I created so many friendships within others that attended the program and many from the city of Córdoba, Argentina, which will be connections that I continue to keep and will remember for a lifetime. When studying abroad I expected to learn a lot about another culture and country, which I did, but I learned so much more about my home country and who I am as a person.

My experience in the CFHI Global Health-Argentina was an enjoyable one. I participated in the program for 3 weeks and was able to shadow doctors in mental health and oncology. During my days in the hospital, I saw patients with many different conditions. I also was lucky enough to see the collaboration of the mental health and oncology sectors. Some of my days in the hospital were very difficult because I spoke very little Spanish and the doctors whom I was shadowing spoke very little English, but they always did their best to help me understand what was going on. Also, during my time in mental health another CFHI student who was fluent in Spanish helped by translating for me. Other than going to the hospital, my experience consisted of Spanish classes 5 days a week and planned group activities. I truly enjoyed and definitely needed the Spanish lessons. My instructor did her best to make our classes conversational but also ensuring that we internalized the material. The classes were really fun compared to normal college classes, for example we played charades and tumbling monkeys but changed them so that we were learning as we played. Some of our group activities included a wine tasting, presentations about viruses in Argentina, and lunch as a program. The program advisors were absolutely amazing. They always did their best to make me feel comfortable, whether it was just asking if I needed a snack before Spanish class or checking how living with my host was going. After my classes, I normally went out to eat with some of the other CFHI participants. I got to try a lot of the food in Argentina, which I absolutely fell in love with, especially dulce de leche. Every time I went for ice cream, I got a flavor with dulce de leche. I also had the chance to go sightseeing and I must say that Cordoba is a beautiful place once you take the time to enjoy it. One of my favorite things that I saw in Argentina was looking at the city from on top of the Sarmiento Park Stairs. The host that I had during my stay in Cordoba also made my stay all the more enjoyable. We had a bit of a language barrier, but we did our best to communicate. She always gave me the best restaurant recommendations and gave me a lot of recommendations of things to do while in Cordoba. Overall, I truly enjoyed my global health experience in Argentina and would recommend others to do it if they have the opportunity to. I hope to do another soon.

Studying abroad was an experience full of uncertainties and firsts for me as someone who hadn't previously had the privilege of traveling internationally and intentionally. I could not have picked a better and more fitting program for me than the SIT IHP Health and Community program that ran course in India, South Africa, and Jordan during the Spring of 2022. The supports we had available to us students were well-thought out and ready for use. When issues came up, we were able to discuss them either with ourselves or our staff. Having homestays in India and Jordan allowed me to have deeper connections with the community and cultures that we were engaging with, which I still foster today. Our group culture was to strive for our best in our assignments, learning, discussions, and immersive experiences outside of the traditional classroom since the world is the true classroom. Every day of the program provided another lesson, another moment of growth, and another moment of connection with people who are gracious enough to provide us with their knowledge and care. My life has not been the same since study abroad and I am beyond grateful for the challenging and wonderful experience I had with people who are passionate about enhancing their worldview through meaningful action and community-building.

It would not be inaccurate to say that my six months in Buenos Aires were some of the best of my life. A condensed background--I am an Civil Engineering student at the Colorado School of Mines. I work during the semester, run student organizations, and bust my ass with my heavy courses. However, I have always had a heavy interest in economics, history, and literature. Furthermore, I have always wanted to learn Spanish because I thought it would be a helpful tool in the future. I decided to take advantage of my situation by taking a "break" and studying abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. Two issues, however, arose: 1. I had no idea where to go. And 2. I did not speak a word of Spanish. Luckily, I found Mente Argentina. Mente offered me a program where I did not need to speak a word of Spanish beforehand to study in university. The program offered 2 months of Spanish lessons at a small independent school followed by 4 months of the actual semester. Mente can connect you to a broad selection of universities in Buenos Aires. I chose the University of Belgrano, a good-sized private university centered in the beautiful neighborhood of Belgrano. There, I could chose classes from the PEAL/PALAS program. One of which had courses taught in Spanish and the other in English. I took five classes: 2 in Spanish and 3 in English. Despite not knowing a word of Spanish before arriving, I was successfully able to understand (most of) and succeed in the Spanish-taught courses due to the 2 months of Spanish lessons beforehand. However, here arises my only complaint: the courses shown by Mente were *not* the same courses offered by the university. As a result, I had to get a new set of courses approved by my host university. I was unable to get all the credit I wanted too because they didn't offer the high-level course that Mente had advertised. The professors were very friendly and knowledgeable. I personally recommend the "Argentine Economy" course taught by Professor Arguero and the "Political and Social Change" course taught by Professor Gonzalez. Both of these are taught in English. The Spanish school (VOS), was incredible in their job. I met lifelong friends there and made my mark on their wall (if you go there, my handprint is by the staircase and labelled Lucas with a heart in the middle). As I mentioned before, I was able to get to competent level of Spanish to take basic university courses within two months of their 5-day/week Spanish program. The building is beautiful and centered in the stunning neighborhood of Palermo. If you do go to this school, I recommend hitting NOLA: a Cajun fried chicken restaurant that is located a two minute walk away. As for housing, Mente supplied me with an apartment in Palermo. The location was amazing! Five minute walk away from Santa Fe St. 20 minutes away from Plaza Serano. Bus station is outside. Less than 10 minute walk to the subway. It was fairly easy to get a taxi there. There are multiple kisocos and a small supermarket (Dia) directly outside it. There is also plenty of great places to eat around there. The apartment itself was clean with very few issues. I loved hanging out on the long balcony. Mente will circle roommates in and out depending on their program. The roommates I have had became very close friends with me (with the exception of a strange hiccup at the beginning). Mente will host weekly events and invite everyone who is involved in a Mente program. This is where I met my closest friends in Buenos Aires, not at the university. Events include: happy hours (and miniature theatre), restaurants, museums, shows, and more. Samantha and Bea, who work at Mente, are both very friendly and fun to be around. If I ever had any questions or concerns, Mente was fast to address them and make sure I was comfortable there. As for Buenos Aires, it is a magical city. As you live here, you will learn about the history, culture, and areas of the city. I spent most of my time in three neighborhoods: Belgrano, Palermo, and Recoleta. Belgrano is a nice neighborhood home to my university and many grand houses, including embassies of all countries. Palermo is where I lived and is the premiere place to shop and dine (in my opinion). Recoleta is more upscale and touristy, home to many attractions. As for places to see, I recommend: Puerto Madero, the Recoleta Cemetary, El Ateneo "The Grand Splendid", the Colon Theatre, the Obelisk, the Casa Rosada, all the gardens, Tigre, and many others. Take your time to explore Argentina outside of Buenos Aires. I have been to: Mar del Plata, Bariloche, Iguazu Falls, and Salta. I won't go into detail about all of these locations, but know that Argentina is an incredibly diverse (and big) country. Make sure to explore everything that you can! And make sure to explore the rich history, too. Before going to Buenos Aires, I had never lived in a big city or spoke Spanish. Within no time, I had become a proud porteño! Take part in the culture...eat milanesas, asado, dulce de leche, and empanadas. Drink mate and partake in merienda. Learn the phrases (dale, boludo!). Take it easy and take your time. Cheer for River Plate and play some soccer! Altogether, I am very satisfied with my experience. Looking back, it feels too good to have been real. Surely, I will be returning to Buenos Aires, my second home!

I was fortunate to be a part of the CFHI program in Argentina. This program was an immersive experience that provided me with invaluable information about Global Healthcare and specifically the culture and practices of medicine in Argentina. Going into the program, I knew I was going to be placed in hospitals. However, I was unaware of just how supportive the CFHI staff was going to be, they truly made my experience the best it could possibly have been. CFHI provided incredible hosts families that made me feel at home and welcome in my month spent across the world. They also talked closely with the coordinators in the hospital to make sure each student was taken care of based on their individual interests. The program also expanded farther than just the medicine present in Argentinian hospitals, providing us students with cultural immersion classes covering topics such as tango, wine and history. These additions made the experience more holistic and thus it was able to contribute to me as a person and not solely just as a future healthcare provider. In addition, I would like to mention the quality of the staff that CFHI has employed. I was blessed with three amazing program directors (Carlos, Charly and Agustín) who served as helpful advisors, fierce advocates, strong support systems and wonderful friends. The staff was available at all hours and willing to assist in any issues that appeared during the trip. CFHI and their staff are what made the experience one that I will cherish for the rest of my life and I cannot put into words just how grateful I am for this organization.

I have had a great experience, it is organized and comes at a good cost. The staff on-site is very supportive and helpful (as well as Brooke in Portland), but we had an emergency situation and the Portland higher-ups didn't handle it well, nor did anyone answer the emergency number provided to us.