I noticed that there is vague information regarding a college’s study abroad program. I’m interested in majoring in public health and human biology, therefore I found it difficult to find science majors doing abroad study work. Please correct me If I’m wrong, but I beleive most of the programs are taken by humanities majors. I do wish to attend med school and think that a global perspective in medicine is important as the field becomes more globalized.
P.S.
Just in case it’s asked:
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If you are admitted with financial aid, it is almost certain that the college/university you end up attending will have at least one study abroad option that you can receive enough aid for so that that semester or year won’t be more expensive for you than attending classes on campus would have been. So don’t start your college search with the question about study abroad. Start your college search with where you can get enough aid to make your education affordable. There are a lot of threads on that topic in the Financial Aid Forum. Read through the ones pinned at the top of that forum first.
It is true that it can be very hard for science majors to find courses in a study abroad semester or year that fit into their programs because of the series of prerequisites for the advanced classes in their major. If you miss X while abroad, you may not be able to squeeze X, Y, and Z into your schedule once you return and still graduate on time. However, I do know science majors who have managed to do this, so ask the departments at each college/university you consider applying to how it has worked for their own students.
Lastly, remember that you don’t have to major in the sciences in order to get into med school. You just need to fulfill the pre-med requirements. A humanities major may make more sense for you considering your overall goals.
Study abroad for American students is a huge international industry and no longer differentiates schools. Some schools have their own programs (and it’s easier to get full academic credit at these programs), but many schools now give credit for external programs as long as they are reputable. (Generally, if there are students from other top US schools attending, your school is likely to say okay.) It’s not unusual to see students from several US universities in a single study abroad program that is well known to all of the schools.
Lots of science (including pre-med) students make time in their schedules to study abroad. Engineers have it tough, but almost everyone else can do it with some planning. Many but not all do mostly in-country cultural studies (language, lit, history and politics). But there are science programs for studying abroad too. I googled it just to see what popped up for two random variables (chemistry and Netherlands) and here’s what came up: (web site devoted to study abroad options)
http://www.studyabroad.com/programs/chemistry/academic+year+or+semester/europe,netherlands/default.aspx
International internships in public health and health services are also available - sometimes as stand-alone experiences, and sometimes in combination with more typical study abroad programs (They offer ‘internships’ or ‘volunteer opportunities’ as part of the study abroad experience.) Look around on the internet and also go talk to the international studies office at your college or university: You can be sure that you are not the first STEM student who has ever had this request. Friend’s D spent a semester in the Andes with a medical services group, for example.
Last but not least, the cheapest study abroad option is the one you create for yourself (although you won’t necessarily get academic credit). D took a quarter off to study German in Berlin. It cost her $7,000 for 3 months, all expenses included (housing courtesy of airbnb, food, Goethe Institute tuition, private tutor, transportation). Much cheaper than a quarter abroad at her college.