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Is this program right for you?

This program is designed for students with an interest in Spanish language, medicine, and the allied health professions in the context of underdevelopment and public health.

Program Snapshot

  • Courses held at the best academic institution of higher learning in the Dominican Republic
  • One-week semi-rural clinical field rotation, providing field experience
  • Urban community service practicum in and around Santiago; gives students the ability to work with local public health experts
  • Excursions to sites of cultural importance in and around Santiago, including a weekend trip to Santo Domingo; homestay with a local family

Subject Areas

  • Community Health
  • Pre-Professional Healthcare
  • Spanish Language

About Santiago

Santiago de los Caballeros, the second largest city in the Dominican Republic, is surrounded by mountains in the lush valley of the Cibao region. Places of historical, cultural, and ecological interest are nearby, and it is just a little over an hour’s drive to the Atlantic Coast. Known as La Ciudad Corazón (City of the Heart), Santiago is the commercial and cultural center of the fertile Cibao Valley region, housing over 100 industrial free trade zone factories, the León Jimenez cultural center, and the commercial street of Calle del Sol. Although it is a growing city with a population exceeding 800,000, Santiago retains many features of a small town.

Where You'll Study

Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra

The Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) is a private, non-profit institution of higher education. Founded in 1962, PUCMM has been ranked by the Inter-American Development Bank as the best academic institution of higher learning in the Dominican Republic. It has five academic divisions: social sciences and administration, science and humanities, engineering, health sciences, and tourism/restaurant management. With a population of approximately 10,000 students, PUCMM offers the academic resources, support services, and physical facilities of a superior-level Latin American educational institution.

Thoughts From Abroad

My position as Resident Director allows me to share what I have learned through research with students participating in the program. Much of my work focuses on health issues in the developing world and infectious diseases in the context of social justice, human rights, and their abuses. I have worked on health development programs in Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe, and have published several articles on health and human rights, and race and ethnicity in Africa and the Caribbean.

Through coursework, a community health practicum, homestays, and a rich and challenging social environment, it is my hope that you will gain an appreciation and understanding of health and healthcare, and obstacles to achieving it in the Dominican Republic.

— David Simmons, Resident Director

Staff Bios

Dr. David Simmons, Resident Director, has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Michigan State University and a M.A. in Anthropology from Iowa State University. Dr. Simmons has been the Resident Director of the CIEE Study Center at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in Santiago, Dominican Republic: Community Public Health since 2001. His position with CIEE allows him to combine professional, academic, and personal interests in public health, development studies, and Spanish language and Caribbean studies. Dr. Simmons is also a full-time Research Fellow with Harvard Medical School. He recently founded a non-profit organization, Zanmi Batey, focusing on health and human rights issues of Haitians and Dominican-Haitians residing on bateys in the Cibao region.

Nathaniel Thompson, Resident Coordinator, earned a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Colorado at Boulder. During his undergraduate studies, Nathaniel participated in several study abroad programs, including the CIEE Study Center at Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain and the CIEE Study Center in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Before joining the CIEE Santiago team in the fall of 2006, he worked as a Student Advisor for the Study Abroad Programs office at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He also worked in Southern France and returned to Seville to work at the CIEE Study Center.

Melba González, Program Assistant, graduated with a B.S. in psychology from the Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago. She has worked with the Community Health summer program for more than 10 years. Leidy Medina, a psychology major at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), is the PUCMM student intern who works directly with the CIEE resident staff and acts as a bridge between CIEE students, PUCMM students, and the local community.

Recommended Credit

summer: 9 semester/15 quarter hours

Eligibility Requirements

  • Overall GPA 2.75
  • 4 semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent
  • College-level coursework in public health recommended

Program Dates

Summer 20095/30/2009 - 7/18/2009
Summer 2010Available: 2/15/2010

Application Deadlines

Summer 20094/1/2009
Summer 20104/1/2010

Click here to check for deadline extensions.

Duration

Summer 20097 weeks
early June - mid-July
Summer 20107 weeks
early June - mid-July

CIEE Costs

CIEE program fees, inclusions, and estimated additional costs, are outlined below. Please note that CIEE reserves the right to adjust its fees in the event of significant change in exchange rates or other factors beyond its control. The actual cost of the programs may vary slightly for students from different institutions.

For comprehensive fee breakdowns and estimated additional costs, click the costs below:

  • Summer 2009 $5,200
    The CIEE fee for 2009 includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing and three meals per day, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, predeparture advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

    Program Fees

    This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

    Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed below.

    Medical Insurance$74
    Housing and Meals$1,050
    Educational Costs (direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students; including $300 non-refundable Participation Confirmation Fee)$4,076
    Total$5,200

    The CIEE fee for 2009 includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing and three meals per day, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, predeparture advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.



    Estimated Additional Costs

    The estimated additional costs indicated below are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

    Books and Supplies$100
    Visa Fee$50
    Local Public Transportation$125
    Personal Expenses$450
    Transportation (round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure)$550
    Total$1,275


  • Summer 2010 Available 12/15/2009

    Program Fees

    This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

    Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed below.

    Available 12/15/2009



    Estimated Additional Costs

    The estimated additional costs indicated below are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

    Available 12/15/2009


Scholarship Information

For a complete list of scholarships available, please vist our Scholarships section.