Model of a Short-Term Study Abroad in Health Sciences
摘要
There is a lack of health professionals to serve the growing population of individuals in the United States (U.S.) who speak a language other than English and who represent multiple cultural backgrounds. Study abroad programs help to fill an important need in the training of students entering the workforce in the U.S. and abroad. The purpose of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Study Abroad in Costa Rica Program at West Chester University is to prepare future healthcare professionals (speech-language pathology, nutrition, health, and others) to provide culturally responsive, linguistically appropriate, and interprofessional care to clients. The study abroad model I created incorporates the following components: short-term, faculty-led, inter-university, interprofessional, bilingual (Spanish and English), and collaboration. Training prior to and during the study abroad experience effectively prepares students. Moreover, faculty and students from West Chester University and Universidad Santa Paula collaborate on various projects, including conference presentations and virtual events.