Studying off-campus, whether in the United States or abroad, is an enriching experience that expands and broadens students’ minds and hearts. Many Carleton Pre-med/health students take advantage of the opportunity to study off-campus during their 4-year tenure at Carleton.
Whatever your reason for studying off campus, you will not be the same person upon return. You will be more resourceful, better able to work with different peoples, more appreciative of your own country’s strengths and weaknesses, and more attuned to the wonderful natural and cultural variety the world offers you.
Many pre-health students have participated in programs that are clearly related medicine, public health or science; they have had wonderful experiences. Many other students have participated in programs totally unrelated; they too have had wonderful experiences! Learn more about Carleton’s Off Campus Studies (OCS).
We have also included some testimonials from students who have participated in OCS programs here:
Morgan Whyte ’20
I went on SIT’s Health in Urban Environments in Buenos Aires for my junior fall semester. This program was dual health care and Spanish emersion, where all classes and assignments were in Spanish, and I lived with a local host family. This dual program system was a great way to merge my interest in the medical field and language. I was able to learn about the Argentinian universal health care experience and tour hospitals all throughout the country.
The program culminated in a month-long field research project (my favorite part of my SIT experience), in which I studied the association between water contamination and children’s health in a small slum outside the city. Overall, this program was absolutely incredible! I was able to continue learning about the field of health care outside of the classroom with a hands-on learning experience.
Seth Warner ’21
In the fall of 2019 I choose to study translational medicine in Sweden with DIS Stockholm. This program was an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in medicine and medical research, and gave me the opportunity to tour and meet researchers at some of the most prestigious research institutions across Europe.
Every Carleton student should study abroad and pursue their passions, and this program would be perfect for those who have a passion for exploring Europe and for exploring science and research in a new way that isn’t offered at Carleton. I was able to explore the field of translational medical research while exploring the cutting-edge research into cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, as well as my passions in public health and Swedish culture. Please feel free to contact me with any questions!
Nikko Baer ’20
I attended the St. Anne’s College Premedical Programme at the University of Oxford. I knew that I wanted to enroll directly at an English-speaking university so that I could get the full experience of being a student at the school. One of my main reasons for selecting Oxford was the tutorial system, in which you write an essay, send it to a professor (known as a tutor), then discuss your work with the tutor and one to two other students for an hour. This system seems like a natural extension of Carleton’s personal approach to teaching.
Oxford is a hub for science, with many opportunities — societies, lectures, volunteering (e.g. the John Radcliffe Hospital), etc. I was impressed both by my lecturers and the other students in the program. Be prepared for a significant amount of independent reading and writing. You are expected to take learning much more into your own hands than in the States. I would strongly recommend the program for those seeking an academically rigorous and medicine-focused study abroad experience!