IES Abroad Cape Town Summer – Health Studies

I had the time of my life studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa! The city has every type of vacation you could want in one: beaches, beautiful landscapes and mountains for hiking, a vibrant nightlife, downtown shopping, art, and events, historical sites and museums, vineyards and wine-tastings, and much more! There is so much to explore and the time truly flies by. For classes, I took community health, and nutrition & HIV. The teachers were passionate and engaging, and I learned so much from them not just about South African healthcare but also about their culture and life. The classes are fascinating and you truly learn a lot and are at times academically challenged. The final week of the program is class-free, and really just about traveling the country (including a safari!) before you unfortunately have to head back home. If you choose this program, you will make lifelong friends, live in the most incredible city on earth, and change your entire perspective on health, healthcare, and equality.

Before I left to study abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, I was expecting to learn about public health in a new setting. My experience in Cape Town exceeded all of my expectations. Arranged by IES, we lived in a new hotel/dorm setting in a safe and upscale area of Cape Town (it even had a market inside!). Every weekday, we did service learning at different hospitals and clinics around and outside of Cape Town. We were able to shadow doctors, dentists, physical therapists, and pharmacists. I learned more than I could ever possibly imaging through service learning, and I gained an appreciation for and better understanding of different fields in health care. In the afternoons, we took a class from a local professor. We got to learn about public health as a whole in South Africa, and I think the class really complemented our service learning. Outside of academics, IES arranged many amazing field trips that allowed us to explore South Africa in a safe way. I greatly appreciated all that IES did to ensure that we had a complete and safe study abroad experience. I really fell in love with the country, and I can't wait to return one day!

I am so incredibly happy that I decided to take this program. It involves a lot of field trips already scheduled within the program, consisting of all the places you have to see if you're in South Africa. If I were to schedule these things on my own, I wouldn't have known to cover every single item, and each experience was higher than my expectations ever were. We stayed in a nice and safe area, but it was also important to explore and understand the townships and the levels of disparity within the community. This experience really taught me a lot and showed me a lot into the life of South Africa. Shadowing the hospitals and clinics gave me a lot of insight into their health care system as well as different diseases or conditions patients face. My favorite part was the nature!! Table Mountain, Lion's Head, and Devil's Peak were always visible when you walk out your door, and hiking these three mountains gave amazing and unbelievable views. I highly recommend this location to anyone!!