Share:

Global Health in The Gambia

A group of students stands outside a building in The Gambia

By Rachel Berry

Students on the Global Health in The Gambia program have the opportunity to observe medical professionals while learning about how the health field differs across cultures.

Students spend two weeks in The Gambia, a small country in western Africa. While there, they visit organizations such as the National Nutrition Agency, the World Health Organization, the largest hospital in The Gambia, and many more. The program examines all aspects of healthcare including nursing, dentistry, law, and business.

Students choose to complete observations at a women and children’s clinic or a school for people who are deaf. At these places, students are given the opportunity to shadow medical professionals as they complete their daily tasks.

“I liked the aspect of working in clinics and getting to see sort of a different side of healthcare,” said Emily Krile, a former participant of the program.

The group also spends time touring cultural and historical sites, learning about the slave trade, and observing the Muslim religion that is prominent in the country. Before they leave for the program, students prepare by visiting a mosque in the United States.

“Going to the mosque beforehand and learning everything I knew about Islam from there really helped when we went to The Gambia because there were a lot of cultural differences,” said Leiara Wilson, a former participant on the program.

Students study how health and culture intersect and the impact on life expectancy and quality of life.

“It was almost cliche in how much I feel it impacted me as a person,” Krile said. “It was just really cool to see a different way people live life.”

Are you interested in the Global Health in The Gambia program?

Learn more

Leiara Wilson sits in The GambiaLeiara Wilson

Year

Senior

Major

Public Health

Minor

Nutrition

Did this program affect your perspective on your major or career plans? 

I knew about the public health major, but I didn’t know what it was, and being there I realized it was a lot of things—a lot of things I didn’t think about—and I kind of felt like it was my calling in a way … It actually opened up a career aspect for me for nursing because the nurses seemed to really be in control, especially in the hospitals. People looked up to them, and it really helped, especially if they don’t have many doctors there.

I feel like when people go on a volunteer excursion or whatever for two weeks, they go there to change the world. I didn’t go there to change but to learn … You’re learning more from them than they are from you. 

Emily Krile stands on a beachEmily Krile

Year

Junior

Major

Family Science major with a master’s in Educational Psychology

Did this program affect your perspective on your major or career plans?

It made me realize that I want to work more with patients … I want to have connections with people and learn from them, and they learn from me, and so that whole experience showed me that I love the human connection part of healthcare rather than the more medical procedure side.

Studying abroad was the best thing I’ve ever done, and I’m doing it again this summer because it just had such a large impact on me … You’re really learning so much about yourself on this trip because it’s so different from our everyday lives.

Leiara

Leiara Wilson sits in The GambiaLeiara Wilson

Year

Senior

Major

Public Health

Minor

Nutrition

Did this program affect your perspective on your major or career plans? 

I knew about the public health major, but I didn’t know what it was, and being there I realized it was a lot of things—a lot of things I didn’t think about—and I kind of felt like it was my calling in a way … It actually opened up a career aspect for me for nursing because the nurses seemed to really be in control, especially in the hospitals. People looked up to them, and it really helped, especially if they don’t have many doctors there.

I feel like when people go on a volunteer excursion or whatever for two weeks, they go there to change the world. I didn’t go there to change but to learn … You’re learning more from them than they are from you. 

Emily

Emily Krile stands on a beachEmily Krile

Year

Junior

Major

Family Science major with a master’s in Educational Psychology

Did this program affect your perspective on your major or career plans?

It made me realize that I want to work more with patients … I want to have connections with people and learn from them, and they learn from me, and so that whole experience showed me that I love the human connection part of healthcare rather than the more medical procedure side.

Studying abroad was the best thing I’ve ever done, and I’m doing it again this summer because it just had such a large impact on me … You’re really learning so much about yourself on this trip because it’s so different from our everyday lives.