Bates Fall Semester Abroad, Chile

Professors Aburto Guzmán (Spanish) and Lawson (Chemistry and Biochemistry)

The Fall Semester Abroad Program in Santiago, Chile, provides the opportunity for Spanish language immersion while exploring science and identity in Latin America, with a focus on public health. Given its history and recent successes in healthcare delivery, Chile provides a compelling setting to study public health at the intersection of the humanities and the sciences. Santiago is a vibrant city established in the sixteenth century. The city is home to one of the oldest medical schools in Latin America, which serves as one of the program's teaching sites. Santiago's central location makes possible several excursions throughout the country, from the mineral-rich northern high desert to the Chiloé Archipelago of south coastal Chile. Students live with Chilean families in Santiago.

The program begins in Santiago in late August with intensive language study designed to help students of all abilities gain or improve their proficiency and comfort in Spanish. Students are placed in language levels according to their abilities, from beginner to advanced. Students continue their study of Spanish throughout the semester with local faculty and take three courses taught in English by Bates faculty and University of Chile faculty. These courses are supplemented by weekly meetings with the program faculty to discuss the intersections that develop among the individual courses and to prepare students for engagement with healthcare providers in hospitals and clinics.

The program ends in mid-December.