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As part of its partnership with the University of Alcalá (UAH) in Madrid, CUNY SPH offers a semester study abroad fellowship program open to master’s students in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Community Health tracks.
The fellowship offers students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture and expand their academic perspectives, while acquiring invaluable skills that will serve them well in their future public health careers.
The program’s inaugural fellows are Epi-Bio students Leslie Hernandez and Elizabeth Whittemore. Having recently returned from their semester at UAH, the students share with us their insights and reflect on their experience studying public health in a new environment.
Leslie Hernandez
For three months in the fall semester of 2024, I was able to call the student residence at Alcalá de Henares home through the UAH program. It was a great opportunity to interact with other epidemiology and international students and learn about their cultures and public health priorities while attending class and seminars.
In addition to interacting with other epi students, there were many opportunities to form friendships and explore the historic medieval town. As a student in the U.S., we are not often exposed to the values and experiences of our epi counterparts in other nations. Studying in Madrid during the peak of election season also provided a layer of global perspective from colleagues and professors that allowed me to view the U.S. from a different lens.
A key insight I gained in our Social Epidemiology elective is that global health aligns closely to our own public health initiatives and that it seeks to define and address health outcomes and disparities both within the U.S. and in other nations. Our Epidemiology and Biostatistics courses were just as rigorous as those in the U.S. and were led by professors with valuable international expertise that they would often incorporate into their lecture. I highly enjoyed participating in dialogue with students and professors that dived into their courses with the same enthusiasm I now have for jamón (ham).
While the coursework was at times challenging, it helped me build critical thinking skills as well as the confidence to pursue a career as an epidemiologist in global health. I feel better equipped with the many of the skills I’ve adopted from this program not just from the subject matter but from being able to navigate life outside of the U.S.
I had visited Spain before on another occasion and I have to say that participating in the program has allowed me to better understand the peoples of Spain, their infrastructure, and their health priorities. I have built relationships with people with different perspectives and gained insights that I don’t believe would have been possible as a tourist. If you are interested in gaining global perspective and instruction from excellent epidemiologists and biostatisticians all while experiencing quotidian life in Madrid, apply!
Elizabeth Whittemore
The UAH program offers a unique opportunity to study with students in a foreign country while also observing a different perspective of public health from an international standpoint. Learning and understanding the implementation of public health teachings in Spain further emphasized the importance of sharing knowledge on an international scale. Collaboration at an international level allows for stronger worldwide public health and, in turn, better public health in the United States.
In addition to the international study, I appreciated the in-person lessons for a semester. As a working professional, online classes have been convenient and beneficial to accommodate a schedule where I can continue to learn from “real life” scenarios in the workplace while also gaining academic knowledge from CUNY classes online. However, in-person studies and small classes helped to build stronger relationships with the professors as well as network with fellow students. Such networking is much easier in-person than in the virtual world.
The experience helped to broaden my understanding of public health at a worldwide “macro” level. Studying public health overseas has enabled me to better comprehend the “big picture” of public health. If my future opportunities take me in a direction to work overseas at any point in my public health career, my UAH experience will be extremely beneficial.
The UAH program is a big shift from taking online classes, but the benefits are well worth adjusting to the transition. Studying at UAH offers numerous opportunities which cannot be found when taking classes online. I would highly recommend the program for anyone interested in an adventure and wanting to expand their knowledge in a different academic setting.
Learn more about the study abroad opportunity here!
