Here is the first Q&A of the Fall 2013 semester!

Miriam Magana, '14, told us some bit of how her experiences were like while studying abroad. Given she focused on public health in Chile, we thought it would be nice to have her opinion about the International Roundtable on Public Health happened last week. Thank you for sharing your stories Miriam!

Miriam (third person from the left) with her host family in Chile

1.) Where are you from?

Sonoma, CA

2.) What is your Major/Minor? 

Anthropology, Community and Global Health Concentration

3.) You were part of the group that went to SIT Chile program on public health. Why did you choose the program you went on? 

I wanted to go to a country in Latin America, that has a host family component, Independent Research and a Public Health focus. This program fit everything that I wanted. 

4.) What were your accommodations abroad? Did you have a roommates(s)? 

I stayed with a host family. My family had a mom, dad, 12 year old brother and 9 year old sister. We also had a large extended family that was very present. 

5.) What do you think was the most rewarding aspect of your time abroad?

I got to interview 5 traditional healers for my independent study project and learned a lot about their view on the environment the role it plays on health. 

6.) Were you able to travel at all while abroad? Where to? 

Yes, traveled all over Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. During my travels I got to see and experience many of the beautiful landscapes in South America. I climbed active volcanoes, saw beautiful salt flats, hiked to the top of MachuPicchu, sailed Lake Titikaka and hiked a ton. 

7.) Was your programs atmosphere similar to life at Mac? 

Not at all. I lived in someones home and commuted to the University where I took the classes. Since most students live with their parents it was very hard to get really immersed in the University life, but it was still a unique experience because I got to get really invested in the community as a whole. 

8.) What is one of your favorite stories to tell others about your time abroad? 

It wasnt the happiest story but while my friends and I were doing gravity biking in the outskirts of Cusco, Peru one of my friends fell off her bike and broke her arm. We needed to get her to a doctor because she was in so much pain. The tour company sent a van and we drove for hours stopping at all the rural health posts and they were ALL closed. They finally made the decision to send her back to Cusco (a 3 hour drive from the last rural post we went to) and got medical attention. She was flown back to the US and is not totally fine. However, this experience really gave us a personal perspective in how difficult it is to access health care. We had everything we needed, transportation, money and time but we still struggled. I can't imagine how difficult it is for locals to access health care in an emergency. 

9.) Can you tell us more have an internship/volunteer experience while abroad? If so, how did this impact your time there? 

While I was abroad I volunteered with an organization called A Techo para Chile (A roof for Chile) and their goals are very similar to A Habitat For Humanity. In addition to building houses they worked with the families waiting to have a house built. I taught a couple English classes, and helped them organize events with them. It made my experience exponentially better because I was able to connect with a community and I felt like I was really making a difference. 

10.) International Roundtable on Public Health just happened this past week. Were you able to participate? If so, can you reflect on your experience with the panels and discussions now that you were able to study public health for half semester in another country?  

I went to Sonia Shah's talk, had lunch with the Thursday speakers, went to a student workshop and the Reception. I feel like I can connect with the topics more because I have a global perspective. While abroad I was able to see all the theory at play, and now feel comfortable discussing these topics.