To prepare for graduate studies in public health, Harper Reed seized a study abroad opportunity

By Amelia Heymann

Exploring a universal issue in an unfamiliar setting gave Harper Reed fresh perspective - and lasting memories - as she continues her studies beyond Virginia Commonwealth University.

Reed, a May graduate who studied sociology and health services at VCU, is now pursuing a master's degree in public health at Boston University. Making the most of her brief period between campuses, she participated in the Summer Community Public Health program in Botswana through CIEE. VCU's Global Education Office helped her identify the opportunity, offered by a leading provider of study abroad and intercultural exchange programs, and the GEO awarded her a scholarship that covered the cost of her flight to southern Africa.

Reed wanted to see how a non-Western health care system functioned - and the lessons it might offer as she prepared for her graduate studies in public health.

"We also got to see the difference between what that free health care looks like versus the optional private health care - and how much of a divide there is between the resources," she said.

There were 14 people in Reed's summer program, with most focused on public health and several studying local wildlife. Three classes were the framework of her experience: one about health care in different countries and in international context; one about the local language, Setswana; and a practicum, in which students went to private and public hospitals and clinics around Gaborone, Botswana's capital.

Reed mainly rotated among a handful of public clinics, where Botswana's free health care is frequently delivered. The primary project for her and her classmates was working with a village on a health intervention plan, which offered hands-on experience with community-engaged public health.

"There's very much like a sense of more social safety" in Botswana, Reed said. "You see people helping each other out all the time and doing it for free … but there's just kind of more social cohesion here. I think that's a big takeaway."

She contrasted that with an attitude of self-reliance that can mark America's health care system. In Botswana, she saw that conversations with health care workers, the government and others were imbued by a culture of people looking out for one other, including their social well-being.

Beyond classwork, Reed found time for several excursions, including animal safaris as well as a trip to Zimbabwe and its impressive Victoria Falls.

Reed said she had been on the fence for several years about studying abroad, noting how it would take her away from campus life and possibly some family time. But she realized that while there may be no perfect time for studying abroad, the opportunity to do so is too rewarding to not emphasize. Reed's experience not only deepened her commitment to public health but also better prepared her for graduate studies. Studying abroad equipped her with skills to engage with diverse populations and address complex health issues from a global perspective - all while having fun.

"There is no bad study abroad experience," Reed said, "and sometimes doing it can lead to some really cool experiences."

For more information about VCU's study abroad opportunities, visit global.vcu.edu/.