Fall 2010 Application Deadline: Monday, March 15, 2010

Program Dates:
Spring Semester 2010: Monday, February, 22nd until mid-July
Fall Semester 2010: Wednesday, July 28th until mid-December

Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) Regional Office and the Office of International Programs (OIP) offer a unique study abroad and internship opportunity for Harvard College students interested in the global health and health policy area. The program provides specific opportunities for those interested in community medicine and the biological and social sciences, as well as related fields such as epidemiology, biostatistics, nutrition, environmental pollution, and health policy and management in the Latin American context.

Chile was one of the first countries on the continent to significantly reform its healthcare system in the 1980s, introducing new programs of public and private social insurance schemes, promoting the growth of private sector providers and decentralizing their public health services. Since the restoration of democracy in the 1990s, the system is being reformed according to recent legislation aimed to correct several of the problems that emerged in the implementation of the initial reforms. Chile has established a system that provides universal access to health care, one that other countries are examining and considering for implementation within their own borders.

Students enrolled in this program study in one of two excellent Chilean universities for one academic semester, taking courses for credit in public health and other subjects. In addition to their classes -- which are conducted exclusively in Spanish -- students will be placed in a local public health or community service organization.

Students participating in the Harvard Program must take at least 30 credits, usually three courses to receive credit for a full semester from Harvard. One of these courses may be an independent study course on public health, working with a Harvard faculty member.

Possible Courses at Universidad Católica (PUC)
Possible Courses at University of Chile (UCH)
Community Service and Public Health Opportunities