| Program |
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Explain the importance of culture as it relates to health and medical interventions, including end of life, mental health, family planning, hospitalization
- Discuss concepts of risk, causality, variability, and bias as they relate to health care among different populations
- Understand and articulate the multidisciplinary nature of global public health
- Identify successful health education, health communication, and health promotion strategies for promoting health
- Identify social, political, and economic factors, including feelings and beliefs toward authority, that influence health and health service delivery
- Compare and contrast the US and Cuba’ approaches to various health issues and populations.
- Create a set of recommendations for the US system based on the materials and experiences from this course.
- Evaluate Cuba’s outreach system and its effects on the social determinants of health for the Cuban population
Course Credit
HS 304 is a 3 credit course in the Health Science Department. This course will count towards your general graduation total. This course will also factor into your cumulative Grade Point Average (course is not available for Pass/Fail). |
| Faculty |
Christina Gunther is the Director of Global Health Programs and an adjunct instructor at Sacred Heart University. Her professional interests include Global Development, Global Health, Global Education, and Service Learning.
Christine North is an associate professor at Ohio Northern University. Dr. North holds a doctorate in interpersonal and health communication and most recently completed her Masters in Public Health in Health Promotion and Education. |
| Accommodations |
Double casa particulares accommodations (including breakfast and dinner) are included as part of your study abroad program fees. |
| Costs |
Confirmation fee: You will be asked to submit a non-refundable $250 confirmation fee payable to “Sacred Heart University” two weeks after your acceptance.
Billable program costs: The Sacred Heart University Student Accounts office will bill you for the following amounts:
- Part-time Graduate SHU tuition rate (3 credits) - $1,800
- Accommodations/Program fee* - $2,450
- Registration fee - $115
The total billable program cost due to Sacred Heart University is $4,115
*Fees include: Program orientation, local program transportation, housing in shared accommodations, some meals, program excursions, and mandatory basic international health insurance
Fees DO NOT include: Travel to/from host country, some meals, major medical insurance, and all personal expenses.
Please speak with Financial Assistance to determine how your aid package will apply towards studying abroad. |
| Selection |
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| Excursions |
In addition to taking classes, local field trips and community-based projects will give you the opportunity learn first hand the lessons and theories of the classroom. Possible field trips include:
- Latin American School of Medicine and Havana Medical Sciences University visits
- Geriatric Health: Senior Citizens House
- Maternal and Child Care: Maternal Care House
- Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital: with Q&A
- Havana Polyclinic: Boyeros Polyclinic
- Rural clinic visit: in Pinar del Rio
Possible excursions include:
- Rural clinic visit
- Tobacco farm visit
- Gran Caverna
- Cuervo del Indio
- Morgotes Valley
- Farm visit with lunch
- Cayo Levisa
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| Scholarships |
Scholarships are a great way to support the cost of your study abroad experience. In an effort to encourage you to study abroad, and to make a study abroad experience more accessible, the SHU Office of Study Abroad prepared a list of scholarships and financial resources. Please note that this is not a conclusive list but it will help you start your search process. The OGA encourages you to apply and take advantage of as many relevant scholarship opportunities as possible. |
| Testimonials |
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| Contact |
Please contact Christina Gunther for more information. |
| Location |
Founded in 1519, Havana is the largest city in Cuba with a population of two million. It is the political and economic hub of the country, and boasts a vibrant arts scene – from the music for which the island nation is famous to film, dance, and visual arts. Havana’s strategic location in the Caribbean once made Cuba an important colonial possession. The Spanish treasure fleets would overwinter here to prepare for the return journey to Spain. A city wall and a string of fortifications along the coast were built to protect Havana from pirate attacks; by 1774 it was the most fortified city in the Americas. In 1982, Old Havana was named a UNESCO World Heritage site and the restoration process has been recognized internationally for its success in combining historic preservation and investments for international tourism with local community development. |
| Duration |
Summer 2017
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| Overview |
Cuba is a rich environment for the study of community, public and global health. The health care system in Cuba is considered one of the best in the world mainly due to their focus on prevention and primary care medicine--aspects of health care that are lacking in the U.S. Cuba also boasts a medical education system that values study abroad for medical residents. All medical residents are required to complete an international rotation in a marginalized community. Finally, Cuba has a medical outreach program that has served some of the worst natural disasters in history.
The theme of our program is the evaluation of Cuba’s application of health care as determined by the social, economic, and political determinants of health including their system of medical education. Students will review the major determinants of health status in both the U.S. and Cuba and reflect on how they affect public health status in both countries. The primary goals of this program are for students to
- gain a deep understanding of how the U.S. healthcare system is situated globally and why we face some of the health care issues we face today
- create a set of recommendations for the US system based on the evaluation of the Cuban system
- to gain greater insight and appreciation of their own sense of culture in an increasingly global world.
Upon acceptance to the program, you will be required to attend a mandatory pre-departure orientation. During this orientation, further details about the course and program details will be discussed. The pre-departure orientation will be conducted in late April. |
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