A taste of my future medical career Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professors were very helpful and resources were made readily available to all of the students without any additional costs. However, at the very end of my program, one of the administrators of the Ecuadorian made a huge mistake. He or she forgot to open one of my classes. Nobody realized this mistake until two weeks after the class should have been open and this realization only occurred because I kept pressing them for answers as to when my class should begin. In the, the problem did get resolved and my the professor I had was very friendly and accommodating.

On-site administration of your program

The administration was excellent. Carlos and Claudia made themselves very much accessible and available for whatever the students needed. Carlos made sure we were familiar with the campus, while Claudia familiarized us with the culture and the city.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family was extremely friendly. They took me to the mall and showed me around the city. The family also did not give me curfew. In fact, the only real rule was do not lose your key! Additionally, the cook was very nice and her food was delicious (or dare I say riquissimo!). The family was also very patient when considering the language barrier. We often used different translators along with my Spanish and English dictionary. Moreover, they were more than eager to share their culture and teach their language. However, one major downside for me was the cold showers. There were a few days of warm water, but for the majority of the trip the water was ice cold. Two of the other three students said their showers were never more than luke warm. One out of a total of four students had hot water all the time. Another downside to consider is the lack of air condition. I was satisfied in this department because my host home had air conditioning in the bedroom. However, the other three girls in my program did not have air condition. This can be extremely difficulty to grow accustomed to at night when one is trying to sleep or after walking around in the hot and humid Ecuadorian air. Ultimately, all things considered, I was very happy with living arrangements.

The food and desserts are delicious but there aren't really many vegetables.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt more integrated with the culture towards the end of my trip because during my last month all of my classes were with other Ecuadorians. Many of them were extremely friendly and were very enthusiastic about helping me understand the class material ( the material was Spanish) and navigate through the city. I feel as though I would have gained more out of the trip if transportation around this city was a little easier and cheaper. I was always forced to ride the taxis, which were more expensive. It would have been nice if we were taught the bus system. Towards the end of my stay in Guayaquil, some of my friends took me on the buses and tried to teach me how to use them.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Personally, I felt pretty safe in the area I was living in. However, many of the other study abroad students did not because of the constant cat calling. Also, because I am African American, I did not stick out as much as the other girls did (the other three girls were Caucasian). The best advice that I can give in terms of safety is never travel alone at night. Do not keep large amounts of money on you. If you do have money on your person, divide it up and put in different places eg. (shoes, bra, pockets, bag).

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It depends. Me and the other four girls did not have to pay additional money for food, books, housing, or laundry. In that aspect, it is probably cheaper than most programs. However, there is not many fun things to do in the city of Guayaquil. As a result, one must budget money for traveling outside of the city. For the few iconic spots within the city of Guayaquil, one should budget money for cab rides. Additionally, for those who love to shop, clothes, accessories, makeup and electronics are much more expensive in Guayaquil than in the US. I can't really give a specific dollar amount because everyone has different spending habits.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans

• Clinical Internship
• Spanish Science Classes
• Host Family/ Friends

• A different city with more fun things to do
• Teach students how to use public transportation

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