Amazing time in London and Jamaica!

As a health policy and administration major, I was very excited to see that there was a program that aligned with my academic goals. To begin with, he IES staff were absolutely incredible. As someone who has an ongoing medical condition, they were always extremely helpful in helping me find doctors and working through all of that kind of stuff. The living accommodation is smaller than traditional American style dorms, but it has everything you need. I also would recommend on going on any of the field trips that IES provides. It is very organized and takes a lot of the stress off that comes with planning a trip.

Academically, being able to learn about public health in London was an absolutely incredible experience and I loved hearing the perspectives from my professors. Living in the city of London is amazing. You are very centrally located and there is always so much to do- no matter what your interests are.

This program also gives you the opportunity to take a class at Oxford. While you do have to catch a very early train, and spend most of your day Friday in class and traveling to and from Oxford, which limits your ability to travel some weekends, it was definitely worth it! I really improved my writing and critical thinking skills. The Oxford class also doesn't start until a few weeks into the program so you still will have the opportunity to travel and I was still able to find time to travel after I got home from Oxford on Friday.

Another unique element of this program is that you have the opportunity to participate in a service learning. I was able to volunteer at a cancer support center, which was a very valuable experience to me.

The best part of the study abroad experience was the trip to Jamaica. We got to observe in clinics around Jamaica and also got to see a lot of the country. We were able to go to Blue Lagoon, the Blue Mountains and a few local beaches. We also attended lectures at the University of the West Indies. Even though before going to Jamaica, nobody was ready to leave London by the end everyone really enjoyed the trip to Jamaica and found it worth while.

Overall, I would recommend this study abroad program to anyone who is interested in public health!