Students spend two mornings per week shadowing doctors in the public teaching hospitals of the University of Chile. Observing the daily workings of the public hospital helps participants to develop a deeper understanding of the health system in Chile.  

“The hospital experience was one of my favorite parts of the program, because I got to see what it is truly like to be a medical student and a doctor, and I got to have a more up close-and-personal view of the Chilean medical system. My experience helped convince me that I truly do want to be a doctor.” –Abby Schiff, HSI ’09 participant

“Hospital San Juan de Dios was a great experience because it helped fortify my desire to be a doctor. The majority of our visits involved us shadowing a doctor who practices internal medicine. We spoke with patients, learned some basic physical examination techniques, and acquired a lot of new knowledge about medical conditions. We really enjoyed practicing our Spanish in this setting because it was necessary in order to understand the interesting medical content being discussed.”  –Shiv Gaglani, HSI ’09 participant      

“Our doctor was excellent and very interesting. We saw a variety of different aspects of medicine, including clinical care, surgeries, even childbirth.”  –Toby Norman, HSI ’09 participant