The Classes

        Everybody in the group will take four classes this semester: Public Health: From Biology to Policy; Globalization and Health; Health, Culture, and Community; and Community Health Research Methods. Together, the classes are intended to give each student "a broad understanding of the the disciplined that contribute to the study of health and community in a global context. In particular, we focus on the fields of public health, medical anthropology, and political economy." Sounds pretty typical for a Macalester student, right? 

          I gotta admit, I'm really curious and excited to take these classes. They are all subjects I have been wanted to study at Mac, but just haven't had the course room. From working on the pre-departure assignments, I can already tell that these classes will expose me to new material and force me to think and analyze situations in new ways, which is very, very refreshing. 

         Even though the classes have syllabi, the program does not follow regular classroom-based learning. In fact, no days are ever really the same. Most mornings we have lectures or discussions for the classes, but everyday we get out into the community. We might bring local health workers and community leaders to speak with us, do a site visit with a local NGO, or explore the city, but either way we balance structured classes with community engagement. We also partner with local universities and work with their professors and facilities (South Central University in China and the University of Cape Town in South Africa). 

        In my opinion, the professors are the "dark horses" when it comes to the classes. I've heard from past students that it can be hard to find really good teachers who are willing to drop everything for a semester and travel with a bunch of students. They can be very interesting and bright people and professionals, but they may not have the most teaching experience. Despite this reputation, I think my two traveling faculty members look really promising. Adia Benton, PhD, MPH will teach the Health, Culture, and Community and Community Health Research Methods classes and Inon Schenker, PhD, MPH will teach the other two. They both have years of experience studying and working in global health, have lived and worked in many different countries, and have both taught in universities. I'm excited to learn from them. In each country, we'll also have country coordinators and local lecturers to teach us, so everything doesn't fall on Adia and Inon. 

        For course descriptions and faculty bios, check out these links: http://www.ihp.edu/page/faculty/#hc and http://www.ihp.edu/page/courses/#hcsyllabi