Students learn about health care in Mexico during UTSA cross cultural medicine program
![Students learn about health care in Mexico during UTSA cross cultural medicine program](/today/images/crosscult1.jpg)
(July 20, 2016) -- Students in the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) cross-cultural medicine program spent four weeks learning about health care practices in Guadalajara this summer.
Eight students interacted with patients and saw firsthand the health care situation and medical challenges affecting the community like diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and obesity.
“The Cross-Cultural Medicine program was a unique partnership between UTSA and Monterrey Tec that provided our students with experience in a clinical setting in Mexico,” said Rene Zenteno, UTSA vice provost for international initiatives and senior international officer. “This rich learning environment gave our students a glimpse into the complexities of global health issues and will serve them well as they pursue degrees in health professions.”
During the program, students were taught in both clinical and classroom settings. Students explored anthropological course work with top-tier UTSA faculty. They also shadowed hospital staff and medical school faculty providing preventive care to families at a clinic affiliated with the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), one of the primary government health care providers in Mexico.
Students learned basic clinical skills including assessing patient histories and taking down basic health information. They were also required to take 16 hours of intensive medical Spanish and participate in weekly clinical simulations with medical school faculty.
“It was probably one of my favorite courses in college. I’ve been to Mexico several times and never looked at it this way. I think this course made me more culturally sensitive,” said UTSA junior Samantha Mendoza, a public health major who is pre-med.
The cross-cultural medicine program is part of UTSA Education Study Abroad Services and is offered to students in the summer.
By Kara Mireles
Public Affairs Specialist
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Learn more about the UTSA cross-cultural medicine program.
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