Study Abroad

Yes, there are a select number of programs designed specifically for prehealth students that include clinical, shadowing, patient, and/or biomedical research experiences. There is also a plethora of programs that focus on global health, community issues, development, and translational sciences, allowing you to pursue your own interests in the health sciences. However, any study abroad program that you are passionate about will be rewarding, enrish you personally, enhance your narrative, and strengthen your professional application. Please see the selection of study abroad programs that are popular with prehealth students.

Absolutely!  It is doable and feasible for premed students to study abroad during their years at Washington University.  All it takes is good planning and a little flexibility.

No. Most medical schools will not accept prerequisites taken abroad. All of the required science and math classes should be completed at Washington University or another accredited institution of higher education in the U.S.

Yes, taking some prerequisites over the summer can build flexibility into your schedule, allowing you to better accomplish your academic goals (i.e., study abroad). This decision can be discussed individually with a prehealth advisor.

The answer depends on the individual student and his/her premed, personal, and academic timeline. Important points to consider:

• Attending a summer study abroad program will require minimal adjustment of your coursework and spare any interruptions in your academic timeline.
• Some students elect to take a gap year (year off between undergraduate studies and medical school), and in so doing, these students are easily able to complete science coursework during the normal academic year and study abroad during their Junior year.
• For those students who DO NOT plan on taking a gap year, the best time to study abroad is the Fall semester of the Junior year or during summers.

As you can begin to appreciate, there are numerous options for a premed (or prehealth) student to consider when mapping out a strategy for studying abroad. A sample of collected scheduling options can be found below. However, it is best to discuss your options with the study abroad prehealth advisor early in your WashU tenure in order to best navigate semester schedules that will fit into a manageable study abroad timeframe.

Gap Year Study Abroad Plans: For students who wish to study abroad for 1-2 semesters and apply for matriculation with a gap year, here are a few possible schedules:

	Fall	Spring	Summer
First-Year	Chem 111 Chem 151 Math (or AP credit) CWP 100	Chem 112 Chem 152 BIOL 2960 Math (or AP credit)
Sophomore	Chem 261 BIOL 2970	Chem 262 Psych or Sociol elective	Physics 117 & 118
Junior	Abroad	Abroad
Senior	BIOL 451 (biochem)	MCAT Graduate	Apply
Gap Year	Interviews, work/fellowship/volunteering
	Matriculation to health professional school

 

	Fall	Spring	Summer
First-Year	Chem 111 Chem 151 Math (or AP credit) CWP 100	Chem 112 Chem 152 BIOL 2960 Math (or AP credit)
Sophomore	Chem 261 BIOL 2970	Chem 262 Psych or Sociol elective
Junior	Physics 117 BIOL 451 (biochem)	Physics 118	MCAT
Senior	Abroad	Graduate	Apply
Gap Year	Interviews, work/fellowship/volunteering
	Matriculation to health professional school

 

	Fall	Spring	Summer
First-Year	Chem 111 Chem 151 Math (or AP credit) CWP 100	Chem 112 Chem 152 BIOL 2960 Math (or AP credit)
Sophomore	Chem 261 BIOL 2970	Chem 262 Psych or Sociol elective
Junior	Abroad	BIOL 451 (biochem)
Senior	Physics 117	Physics 118 Graduate	MCAT Apply
Gap Year	Interviews, work/fellowship/volunteering
	Matriculation to health professional school

 

 

Direct Entry (NO Gap Year) Study Abroad Plans: For students who wish to study abroad for a semester and apply for matriculation directly following graduation, here are a few possible schedules:

	Fall	Spring	Summer
First-Year	Chem 111 Chem 151 Math (or AP credit) CWP 100	Chem 112 Chem 152 BIOL 2960 Math (or AP credit)
Sophomore	Chem 261 BIOL 2970	Chem 262 Psych or Sociol elective	Physics 117 & 118
Junior	Abroad	BIOL 451 (biochem) MCAT	Apply
Senior	Interviews	Interviews Graduate
	Matriculation to health professional school

 

	Fall	Spring	Summer
First-Year	Chem 111 Chem 151 Math (or AP credit) CWP 100	Chem 112 Chem 152 BIOL 2960 Math (or AP credit)
Sophomore	Physics 117 BIOL 2970	Physics 118 Psych or Sociol elective	Chem 261 & 262
Junior	Abroad	BIOL 451 (biochem) MCAT	Apply
Senior	Interviews	Interviews Graduate
	Matriculation to health professional school

 

	Fall	Spring	Summer
First-Year	Chem 111 Chem 151 Math (or AP credit) CWP 100 Physics 117	Chem 112 Chem 152 BIOL 2960 Math (or AP credit) Physics 118
Sophomore	Chem 261 BIOL 2970	Chem 262 Psych or Sociol elective
Junior	Abroad	BIOL 451 (biochem) MCAT	Apply
Senior	Interviews	Interviews Graduate
	Matriculation to health professional school

*Note: No-Gap-year timelines can be challenging since it compresses the prerequisite coursework and one will have to potentially manage some of the logistics of professional school applications from abroad.

While there are some international sites which administer the MCAT, you should think carefully about whether you want to make the serious commitment of undertaking MCAT preparation and testing while abroad. This can very well take away from the overall study abroad experience.

No, you do not have to specifically attend a study abroad program from a U.S. college or university. Unless the program is specifically sponsored by WashU and taught by WashU faculty, students earn transfer credit from their study abroad coursework, with no grades recorded on the Wash U transcript and, hence, no impact on the WashU GPA. Nevertheless, study abroad courses can satisfy WashU graduation requirements.

On your AMCAS application, these study abroad grades will appear as P/NP and not factor into your AMCAS GPA.

This program offers you unique and valuable hands-on medical experiences, such as clinical lab exercises, as well as insight into clinical practices and health provision in Europe.
The Medical Practice & Policy program will allow you to:

• Learn from medical doctors at Copenhagen University hospitals, and gain an insider view of the workings of hospitals and clinics, and the daily practice of physicians
• Try your hand at recording patient history and clinical cases as part of the experiential learning element of the core course
• Perform physical examinations and procedures on medical phantoms, such as blood drawing, I.V. entry, and suturing
• Compare and contrast health care and medical practice in newly reformed versus welfare state systems by visiting hospitals, clinics, and research institutions on study tours in Denmark and cities in Western and Eastern Europe

This program is right for you if you have a serious interest in medicine and science and are considering pursing a graduate degree in the health professions. You will gain insight into the field of medicine through the faculty, who are Danish medical practitioners, and classes at a local university hospital.

DIS Copenhagen - Medical Practice & Policy

 

Engage in a unique pre-medical experience by learning from Swedish medical doctors and researchers, focusing on how research translates into medical practices, and how patient data translates back into research.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore case studies that bridge research and clinical breakthroughs within acute and chronic diseases, and investigate how diagnostic tools and treatment strategies are developed through the dynamic relationships between clinicians, physicians, and scientists 
• Perform physical examinations and procedures on medical phantoms, such as blood drawing, I.V. entry, and suturing at clinical training center in Stockholm
• Travel with DIS on course-integrated study tours to visit clinical and diagnostic hospital departments and research institutions, and gain insight into clinical practices, translational research, and the lives of research doctors

DIS Stockholm - Medical Practice & Policy

 

King's College London Health and Society is a unique opportunity in the UK to have a clinical placement—examples include primary care practices, walk-in centers, and sexual health centers. Course topics may focus on national health systems and medical practice, as well as medicinal ethics, anthropology and humanities. If you’re pursuing a career in medicine and have a strong academic background in biology, this could be a good option for you.

Your program will consist of a clinical placement, a cornerstone course, and three additional classes. You’ll shadow clinicians and other health practitioners, attend lectures from leading academics, and evaluate health care related literature.

KING'S COLLEGE LONDON HEALTH AND SOCIETY

Gain unique insight and exposure to health care policies, politics, and delivery methods in a multicultural and rapidly changing region of South America.Central to the program is an analysis of health reform intended primarily to improve health conditions of disadvantaged groups, particularly those in Chile, while also improving health care access for the population at large.

Students carefully examine intercultural health and alternative healthcare practices in the context of Chile as well as southern Peru. Students consider different conceptions of wellness and healing, including beliefs and health practices of the Aymara and Mapuche indigenous groups. The program gives students the opportunity to experience Chile's health system firsthand with guided, insightful visits to public and private health centers.

Learning is conducted through thematic lectures, field study, and educational excursions, which challenge students to consider topics such as:

• Chile's national and indigenous health systems
• Economic, structural, and ideological determinants of public health planning and practices
• Alternative treatments of psychiatric and other mental health issues
• Healing and spiritual beliefs
• Health of women, children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly
• Public health and community empowerment

SIT Study Abroad Chile: Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment

This program examines health and human rights in Kenya through a complex constellation of urban issues including housing, urban infrastructures, land tenure, informal settlements, food (in)security in the city, and evictions. Students examine Kenya’s healthcare challenges, practices, and systems, in both rural and urban contexts, together with analyses of locally informed debates surrounding human rights.

Major Topics of Study Include:

• Housing policies and practices in Kenya and their implication for health and human rights
• Kenyan healthcare systems and healthcare challenges, including demographics, public health education, differential access to healthcare,
• Health issues in Kenya, including HIV/AIDS, health issues of orphaned and vulnerable children, women’s healthcare needs, and mental healthcare
• Links between access to and reliance on Kenyan healthcare services and the conceptions of human rights of individuals and communities
• Successful coalition-building efforts, civil society organizations, the private sector, and others pursuing community-based approaches to myriad contemporary issues

SIT Study Abroad Kenya: Global Health and Human Rights

This course integrates classroom and field instruction to introduce students to the fundamental principles of South African medicine and public health systems.  Students will study topics including infectious diseases, epidemiology, virology and zoonosis, sexual health and reproductive issues, environmental health (vector ecology, water quality, waste management, entomology, toxicology), global health issues (emerging tropical diseases), and traditional and alternative medicine. Students will study current techniques and concerns in South African medicine and public health, analyze the impact of climate change for human health, and analyze the social and economic determinants that contribute to the expanding impact of infectious diseases. Students will learn firsthand about South Africa’s health care system, from the primary care in rural communities to large urban systems.

Visits will include primary health care facilities in rural areas including a homestay in a Venda community in Hamakuya (west of Kruger National Park). Students will also stay at the Wits Rural Facility, which is a community, supported in part by Witwatersrand University (an OTS consortium institution).  Located just west of Kruger National Park, the community is a model for studies on health care delivery and sustainability. In addition, students will have the opportunity to interview doctors and patients, analyze quarantine programs, conduct field research in biological and environmental areas relevant to human health, and learn how to document a disease-related case study. {NOTE: two semesters of college-level biology, ecology, or other related sciences must be completed by the start of the program}

Organization for Tropical Studies in South Africa (OTS): Ecology and Conservation

The summer program to Senegal, West Africa is designed for students who want to build their conversational French language skills, learn more about Francophone West Africa, and experiment with field research. Dakar, Senegal provides the perfect opportunity to explore themes in African and Francophone studies because of its geographical space and unique history. Geographically, Dakar naturally opens itself to the wider world, as reflected in its history, its role in the former French empire, its religious landscape, and its current relationships with other countries. Senegal, very proud of its place as an intellectual center, is the epicenter of many artistic and cultural movements. Dakar is a stable, cosmopolitan, and culturally rich capital city.

*In the context of this program, students have the opportunity to work at a regional malaria lab in Dakar at Hospital Dantec (which has an affiliation with Harvard School of Public Health) and/or involve themselves in shadowing and research at Hoptial Fann (psychiatry and neurology).

WashU French and African Studies Summer Program in Senegal

This intensive summer program is designed for students interested in French language and cultural studies as well as pre-medical studies. The program aims at total immersion into life in France, while providing students with the opportunity to experience first-hand the French medical system. Going into its twenty-third season, France for the Pre-Med can accommodate students in a broad spectrum of health-related fields and special interests. {NOTE: two years of college-level French or the equivalent must be completed by the start of the program}

WashU Healthcare in France