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Led by Alan Childs, professor of psychology, and Steven Lammers, Manson Professor of the English Bible, 20 students are participating in a seven – week seminar course and internship experience comparing U.S. and U.K. health care systems. The group will be in the United Kingdom until July 12.
“The ultimate goal is to have students come to understand how health care systems evolve and how they are a reflection of the culture in which they are found, and that any system of health care delivery has strengths and weaknesses, especially when viewed from afar,” explains Childs. “They will have the advantage of viewing the British system from within. Most of these students are interested in health care careers and have had a good deal of direct experience with the U.S. system already. If change is ever to happen in our own health care system, these students will understand better how it came to be, what it is, and what is needed to affect any changes. In the process, they will be frustrated and confused by the complexity of the issues in health care, but in the end, at least, they will know why.”
Centering on London, the students meet one day a week for the seminar course, which involves reading and discussing various articles about health care in both cultures, producing a term paper by the end of the course comparing some aspect of health care between the U.S. and U.K., and taking a final examination.
The second component of the course is an internship experience in which the students work for individually assigned health care organizations in London four days a week for six weeks. They must maintain a journal, write weekly reaction papers, and prepare a final report on their internship organization and experience. European Union Studies Association (EUSA), a firm that assists in arranging academic programs and internships in a number of European and U.S. cities, interviewed the students in March to help match each student with a fitting internship.
Various cultural excursions have been planed for the students throughout the course, including trips to museums, libraries, and plays. The students will also be taking a guided tour of Cambridge University, visiting the Roman Baths in the city of Bath, and paying a special visit to Stonehenge where they will be able to go beyond the ropes and walk among the stones – something the general public typically cannot do. They will also have the option of going to Greenwich, cricket matches, and Wimbledon.