Boston University Medical Campus
International Health Program

Ohiyesa Summer Language Proficiency Program

I. Description

The Ohiyesa Summer Language Proficiency Program has been
suspended for summer, 2009 due to safey concerns in Antigua. 
Check back December, 2009, re: summer, 2010 session.

In order to participate in the Ohiyesa Program, you must be in good academic standing and eligible for promotion to the second year; this means no Fail or Incomplete grades, and a maximum of two Marginal Pass grades.

Based in Antigua, Guatemala, the Ohiyesa Summer Language Proficiency Program provides instruction in conversational and medical Spanish as well as an introduction to the health care system and culture of Guatemala. Since the program is intended primarily for medical students in the preclinical years (usually first-year students participate), it is essentially observational rather than interactive with patients. Students with little or no Spanish language skills are preferred candidates.

Ours is a serious program that will require scholarly effort and full participation in both its linguistic and cultural portions. Participants may be expected to read selected relevant material provided to them before embarking on the program.

The Dartmouth-based Ohiyesa Corporation provides planning and coordination for the summer program from the United States. In addition, a representative of the program from the United States (typically a faculty person from one of the sponsoring universities) is present in Guatemala for the first few days of the program while students are becoming accustomed to the new environs. Our native Guatemalan coordinator/director, a woman with nearly ten years experience with the program who is thoroughly knowledgeable about Antigua and Guatemala, is present during the rest of the program to provide students with support and supervision as necessary.

Representatives of the Ohiyesa program may give students their opinion about the safety and advisability of participating in certain activities (e.g. volcano climbing) but, obviously, have no direct control over their extracurricular activities.

II. General Overview of Program

Antigua, Guatemala

The program is based in this beautiful Spanish colonial city that is well known for its many language schools. In recent years it has also become an increasingly favored destination for tourists and travelers on the “gringo trail”. This detracts somewhat from the purity of the cultural experience and may be objectionable to the experienced traveler. But for the less experienced, Antigua provides a pleasing balance between the experience of a third world country and the amenities to which Americans are accustomed. It is a walking-sized town that is only about 10 city blocks across from side to side and from end to end.

Living Arrangements

Students live with Guatemalan families within easy walking distance of the school. Because of the great number of language students in Antigua during the summer months, as many as several students may be housed with each family. Hopefully the student will be brought into the family life, but in fact, the extent of this interaction varies from minimal to intimate.

Meals

The host families provide meals for six days of the week. It may be difficult for the family to satisfy special dietary modifications that students prefer. Students arrange for their own for meals on Sundays. This presents no problem as restaurants abound in Antigua.

Conversational Spanish Instruction

Spanish is taught at PROBIGUA, a locally owned, not-for-profit, language school that promotes literacy among the Maya by using its excess earnings to establish libraries and computer facilities for children in underserved villages. Experienced Guatemalan teachers provide one-on-one instruction for four hours a day, five days a week.

Medical Spanish Classes

Group classes of Medical Spanish lasting about two hours are given twice a week. This may include education in indigenous beliefs and a visit to a local school to collect student health data.

Lectures

About once a week a lecture is given on some aspect of Guatemalan health. Among others, these cover such topics as the public health care system, breast-feeding, family planning, and nutrition.

Health Care Facility Visits

About once a week the group visits a facility illustrating a different aspect of health care delivery. On one weekend, the group usually travels by private bus to Lake Atitlán to visit a health center serving an indigenous community and to a nearby large Indian market. These sites are well-known tourist destinations that are generally considered to be safe. Other weekends are left free for optional activities.

Other Activities

The above is a busy schedule but one that leaves some unscheduled time each day. There is some opportunity to volunteer in health-related projects.

After the Program

Since the airfare is a significant part of the total expense of the program, some who attend may want to stay on in Guatemala after the program ends. Obviously, neither the Ohiyesa Corporation nor its representatives have any official advisory role, oversight, or responsibility for a student’s activities after the end of the language program.

Security

Tourist safety is a constant concern that the Guatemalan Tourist Department works hard to improve. The US State Department issues Consular Information Sheets that describe conditions in every country in the world. All those who contemplate travel to Guatemala with our program are required to read this sheet. You can find it at the State Department Travel Web Site: http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html.

Expenses

The Ohiyesa Corporation covers most of the cost of in-country essential student expenses of tuition, room and board, and transportation. BUSM charges a fee of $250 per student to cover rising costs of the program and diminishing Ohiyesa funding. Students must provide their own round trip travel expenses. In the summer of 2008, round trip airfare from the United States to Guatemala City was about $850 – $1000. On Sundays, students purchase their own meals. Generally, prices in Guatemala are about two-thirds of those in the United States.

Application

Students who remain seriously interested after reviewing the information (above) may download the application (at top of this page). Acceptance into the program will be based upon a combination of the candidate’s suitability to the goals of the program, timeliness of expressed interest, date of receipt of application, and evaluation of an essay that will be required as an important part of the application.