Medical Experience in Belize for High School Students
- Belize
- San Ignacio
About Program
Participants in our programs are delivering healthcare and health education, hands-on every day. They are not watching, shadowing or observing and they are not conducting research. They’re making a difference!
Shortly after their arrival at the Belizean airport, the participants will travel as a group to San Ignacio in the Cayo District. Participants will live with GPSA staff in small groups with a host family in the surrounding areas of San Ignacio. While English is the official language of the country, many families speak their mother tongue at home (e.g. Spanish, Maya, Kriol). Living with a host family creates a perfect atmosphere to learn and experience Belizean culture.
For their clinical service, participants are divided into teams led by trained college graduates (premeds from Duke, Johns Hopkins or similar universities) or faculty. Participants learn to facilitate several medical interventions and screenings and complete an introductory cultural and language training.
Video and Photos
Program Highlights
- Work alongside community health workers and deliver healthcare related to non-communicable diseases.
- Learn to facilitate medical interventions and screenings (how to measure infant height and weight, how to measure blood pressure, blood glucose, heart rate, etc.).
- Participate in cultural activities and explore the Belizean jungles.
- Live with a host family in the villages outside of San Ignacio.
- One to four week programs are offered in the summer and winter time.
