A Changing Public and Mental Health Care System
2009 Exploration Seminar in Chile
THIS PROGRAM IS FULL AND NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS. PLEASE CONSIDER ANOTHER EXPLORATION SEMINAR PROGRAM!
Program Director: Jaime Olavarria, M.D, Ph. D. ~ Psychology
Dates of Instruction: August 23 to September 16, 2009
Based on the premise that we have much to learn from studying Public Health in other countries and cultures, this Exploration Seminar will focus on the topic of Public Health in Chile. Models of Public Health in Chile are very interesting because they have received influences from European and American models, among others. In addition, Public Health in Chile has undergone important changes reflecting both profound political changes as well as recent health reform initiatives. Medical training and health services have gone from being essentially free to all just a few decades ago to being largely handled by private, profit-driven institutions. It will be interesting to assess the impact that these changes have had in the training of health professionals and the overall health of all Chileans. It will also be instructive to study the impact that economic as well as geographic factors have on Chilean public health.
Chile is a very long and narrow country (as long as U.S.A. is wide), separated from the rest of the world by the colossal Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. There are vastly different geographic conditions in both north-south as well as east-west directions, ranging from dry desert to rain forest. While a large portion of the population is concentrated in urban centers, many Chileans live in remote, poor areas with difficult access to urban centers. There is also a steep economic gradient, with a very wealthy minority on one end, a relatively large middle class, and a larger, very poor sector on the other end.
We will study how Public Health services compare in urban and remote areas as well as in wealthy and poor communities. In general, we will assess the efficacy of current efforts aimed at reforming public health programs and policies, as well as the measures that are being considered to address both existing and potential problems. An important focus in this seminar will be mental health, and we will try to evaluate the state of mental health in the overall Chilean health picture.
 To address our objectives, we will study two main areas in Chile. One is located at the center of the country, with Santiago, Chile’s capital, as its main urban center. The other area is in the lake region in southern Chile, with Villarrica and Puerto Montt as important urban centers. We plan to divide the time in Chile between these regions. We will spend time in the urban centers as well as in remote areas. We will also interact with Mapuches, indigenous inhabitants of Central and Southern Chile, and learn about their efforts toward maintaining their traditional culture and medical practices. During fun time, we will take advantage of Chile’s beautiful geography, which offers many recreational outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, skiing and many others.
While there will be classroom work (theoretical presentations, formal and informal discussions), most of the time will be spent in field activities, including visits to regions that have modest or infrequent local health services. Students will interview local people, patients, and health personnel, as available. For purposes of comparison students will then carry out similar activities in urban centers. Students will be required to submit a final paper summarizing their experiences and critically assimilating them into a model of public health in a Latin American country. Those students knowledgeable of Public Health in U.S.A. will be able to compare this model with that in U.S.A. As for the others, the insight gained in Chile may spur them into pursuing studies about public health services and policies in U.S.A. as well as in other countries and cultures.
 In Chile, students will interact with health professionals from the two most important universities in Chile: The University of Chile, and The Catholic University of Chile. These professionals include Medical Doctors (Epidemiologists, Psychiatrists, Family Practitioners, etc), Nurses, Psychologists, Social Workers, Midwives and Public Health Officials. They will lecture and participate in discussions.
This seminar is aimed at students interested in health issues with potential global impact and provides an unique opportunity to students intending to become medical doctors, epidemiologists, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, public health officials, social workers, etc.
Credits: Participants will earn 5 credits of either Psych 448 (Seminar in Psychology), SISLA 399 (Latin America Study Abroad) or CHID 472 (Latin America Study Abroad, I&S). Participants should check with their advisors to determine how these credits may be best applied toward departmental requirements. Acceptance into the course is based on a written application and interview. Classes will be taught either directly in English, or translated from Spanish into English. Spanish language proficiency is not required, however an introductory Spanish course is recommended.
Student costs:
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