La República Dominicana
As a culmination of my college career, I am studying abroad at university in Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic. During the day, I am taking classes to finish my Spanish Bachelor of Arts degree, and also volunteering at a local orphanage encouraging safe and beneficiary public health practices such as hygiene and nutrition.
I am combining two things I love: Spanish language and culture and medical volunteering. This is be a four month program and is a great way to end my undergrad story. Additionally it is a perfect transition into my education as a Physician Assistant.
The study abroad was through a third party program that already had an established relationship with the area and the school. This program is International Studies Abroad, or ISA. I chose to go on my own, and so did about eleven other students from universities all over the UNited States. I live with a host family during my stay. This is the best way to study abroad in my experience, because it forces interaction with the host family and really allows someone to live within the host culture and belong.
Through my classes I learned an incredible amount about Dominican history, its relations with Haiti, the US, and other Caribbean countries. I also learned about Dominican culture and how its roots are intimately linked with Africa and Spain in everything from the food to the dance to ethnic identity. This experience has really led me to understand the Dominican identity and culture from within.
I also was able to accomplish, with the help of a few other volunteers, a set of established hygiene and nutritional norms for children in an orphanage and daycare facility. Upon arriving, the children aged 2-6 did not wash their hands before eating lunch. We were able to foment a routine to the point that the children were washing their hands without facilitation before eating. They also learned about brushing their teeth on a regular basis and what a healthy plate looks like (in context of the Dominican diet). Another large improvement is in hydrating the children. There is sufficient bottled water, and the children learned that they couldn't drink the contaminated tap water. They took water breaks when playing outside, as opposed to only drinking a little bit of water before their nap time. By going twice a week for a semester I feel like I was able to enable healthier practices that will stick around after I leave.
This experience fulfilled my expectations, and is an excellent way to close my undergraduate career. Apart from all of the culture and history I've learned, I've also gained a surprising amount of fluency. I considered myself fluent before the trip, but now I'm able to pick up on even the fastest of Dominican speakers. Since Dominican Spanish is notoriously fast and difficult to understand, I feel like I'm prepared to speak comfortably with Spanish speakers from all over the globe. This will be especially helpful for large metro areas like Los Angeles, which has large populations of Mexicans, Central Americans, and Caribbeans (mostly Puerto Ricans and Cubans, which have Spanish similar to Dominican Spanish).
While most of my learning was in comprehension and advanced speaking, I also learned a fair amount about the healthcare systems in the Dominican Republic. In fact, this is what I have chosen for my senior Capstone presentation in Spanish. Most of the Dominican's best healthcare services are private and only accessible to those with money. However, there is a socialized healthcare system that covers the most basic needs like pregnancy and maternity care and vaccinations. The country measures its progress according the UN's Millennium Development Goals. By looking into public health beyond the daycare, I learned a lot about public health and which countries have made significant advancements in healthcare in the last 15 years and which countries continue to struggle. A paper I wrote on the topic can be found below.
I now have a well developed Spanish language skill set and a good understanding of Latin American culture, so now I need the technical skills of a Physician Assistant to complete my goal of becoming a bilingual Physician Assistant. I am so glad I had the opportunity to study abroad and really complete a very fulfilling undergraduate career.
Information about the study abroad opportunity can be found at the ISA-ELAP link below:
I have a separate blog about this experience, and it can be found here with weekly updates. It is named Dominicano de Ohio.
I am combining two things I love: Spanish language and culture and medical volunteering. This is be a four month program and is a great way to end my undergrad story. Additionally it is a perfect transition into my education as a Physician Assistant.
The study abroad was through a third party program that already had an established relationship with the area and the school. This program is International Studies Abroad, or ISA. I chose to go on my own, and so did about eleven other students from universities all over the UNited States. I live with a host family during my stay. This is the best way to study abroad in my experience, because it forces interaction with the host family and really allows someone to live within the host culture and belong.
Through my classes I learned an incredible amount about Dominican history, its relations with Haiti, the US, and other Caribbean countries. I also learned about Dominican culture and how its roots are intimately linked with Africa and Spain in everything from the food to the dance to ethnic identity. This experience has really led me to understand the Dominican identity and culture from within.
I also was able to accomplish, with the help of a few other volunteers, a set of established hygiene and nutritional norms for children in an orphanage and daycare facility. Upon arriving, the children aged 2-6 did not wash their hands before eating lunch. We were able to foment a routine to the point that the children were washing their hands without facilitation before eating. They also learned about brushing their teeth on a regular basis and what a healthy plate looks like (in context of the Dominican diet). Another large improvement is in hydrating the children. There is sufficient bottled water, and the children learned that they couldn't drink the contaminated tap water. They took water breaks when playing outside, as opposed to only drinking a little bit of water before their nap time. By going twice a week for a semester I feel like I was able to enable healthier practices that will stick around after I leave.
This experience fulfilled my expectations, and is an excellent way to close my undergraduate career. Apart from all of the culture and history I've learned, I've also gained a surprising amount of fluency. I considered myself fluent before the trip, but now I'm able to pick up on even the fastest of Dominican speakers. Since Dominican Spanish is notoriously fast and difficult to understand, I feel like I'm prepared to speak comfortably with Spanish speakers from all over the globe. This will be especially helpful for large metro areas like Los Angeles, which has large populations of Mexicans, Central Americans, and Caribbeans (mostly Puerto Ricans and Cubans, which have Spanish similar to Dominican Spanish).
While most of my learning was in comprehension and advanced speaking, I also learned a fair amount about the healthcare systems in the Dominican Republic. In fact, this is what I have chosen for my senior Capstone presentation in Spanish. Most of the Dominican's best healthcare services are private and only accessible to those with money. However, there is a socialized healthcare system that covers the most basic needs like pregnancy and maternity care and vaccinations. The country measures its progress according the UN's Millennium Development Goals. By looking into public health beyond the daycare, I learned a lot about public health and which countries have made significant advancements in healthcare in the last 15 years and which countries continue to struggle. A paper I wrote on the topic can be found below.
I now have a well developed Spanish language skill set and a good understanding of Latin American culture, so now I need the technical skills of a Physician Assistant to complete my goal of becoming a bilingual Physician Assistant. I am so glad I had the opportunity to study abroad and really complete a very fulfilling undergraduate career.
Information about the study abroad opportunity can be found at the ISA-ELAP link below:
I have a separate blog about this experience, and it can be found here with weekly updates. It is named Dominicano de Ohio.