Union College Term Abroad Study Of National Health Systems In Canada, Great Britain and Holland - Summer
An intensive learning experience (equivalent to a full three course term) designed to explore health care systems of the United States, Britain, Holland, and Canada in the context of their historical development. Selected experts will present an organized series of seminars on the history, sociology and philosophy of health care in each country. These will be supplemented by tours of:
1. an outpatient clinic
2. an urban tertiary care hospital
3. a health care planning office
4. a psychiatric hospital
5. a nursing home or geriatric care center
6. an academic hospital
7. a rehabilitation center
The term commences with a week of seminars and discussions at Union College that focus upon the American health care system. Using the Union College campus as a base, students begin their study with concentrated program of site visits to local health care institutions. After a week spent reviewing the Canadian healthcare system, the course reconvenes at the Wellcome Center of the History of Medicine/University of London for a three week program of seminars, lectures, and tours focusing on the British National Health Service. The next two weeks will be spent in Holland, where the students study the Dutch National Health Service, with a member of the Dutch parliament.
Faculty and Staff
Union College
William W. Thomas, Director of International Programs
Robert Baker, Director
U.K.
David Armstrong, Head, Medical Sociology Program, Guy's Hospital, London
William Bynum, Associate Director, Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine
Netherlands
Dr. Godelieve van Heteren, Nijmegen University
Canada
Professor Jackie Duffin, Queens University
Course of Study
Terms Abroad 123: Health Care Policies and Administrative Structures of the National Health Service of England, Hungary and Holland. An analysis of health care administration and policy in the light of the ideology and economic and social policies of these countries.
Terms Abroad 124: Historical and Cultural Factors in the Development of the National Health Services of England, Holland and Hungary. An analysis of the historical and cultural background surrounding the development of 'socialized medicine' in these countries from the 'poor laws' of the Renaissance through the various social and political reform movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Terms Abroad 125: Field Studies of Health Care facilities in the U.S., England, Holland and Hungary. A program of visits to the clinics, hospitals, hospices, planning facilities, rehabilitation centers, and psychiatric hospitals --Wac W-3
Eligibility
An minimum cumulative average of 2.5, certification by the Dean of Students, and selection by committee.
Expenses
The inclusive fee covers tuition, room (except during course breaks), board, cultural tours, field trips, intra European travel (including Eurail Pass), plus the administrative costs of the program. Travel to and from Europe, including the purchase of an airline ticket, is the individual responsibility of each student. All grants, loans, and scholarships, including U.S. armed forces medical scholarships, the NYS Regents scholarship, etc. apply to the program. Students on financial aid should consult with the Office of Financial Aid about their particular situations.
Students apply for international programs two terms in advance. All international programs are competitive, some highly so. Attendance at a program's informational meeting is essential. Selection criteria include the student's essay, GPA, faculty recommendations, course of study, certification by the Dean of Students, and the selection committee's assessment of the student's capability of adapting to the program's social and academic environment. Should there be additional selection criteria, they will be announced at the informational meeting. The faculty selection committee seeks a group of students with varied academic and intellectual backgrounds and interests. The College urges students to seek advice from their academic advisors and from the international programs office to select programs appropriate to their academic and intellectual interests. While the College is very proud of the unusually high percentage of its students who study abroad, we must note that participation in all programs is limited.