Medicine in Mexico: Prehispanic, Institutional, Alternative
September 6 - 26, 2008

For traditional and alternative healthcare practitioners and students interested in learning about medical practices in Mexico, including prehispanic and current institutional and alternative practices, as well as those looking for better understanding with hispanic populations and who are interested in health issues and terminology.

This 3-week program is meant for all those who work in healthcare: nurses and family doctors, alternative healthcare practitioners, as well as specialists and midwives. You will learn about the healthcare system in Mexico and about the way workers are organized. We will talk about social and cultural issues like health and human rights, health and spirituality, cultural beliefs about health, indigenous beliefs and practices, birth control methods, working with contagious illnesses, speaking with Latino patients, talking about domestic violence, the place of elderly or handicapped people in our society, among other issues.

Every week focuses on a special theme: traditional, institutional and alternative healthcare. You can subscribe one, two or three weeks of the program, depending to your needs and interests. We highly recommend to take the three weeks so you improve your Spanish and have a deep understanding of the healthcare system.

INCLUDES:

Daily intensive Spanish language instruction, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Students are evaluated and place at the appropiate level with a maximum of five students in each class.

Activities on Language & Culture for Healthcare workers

Week one: Traditional healthcare

Focuses on the Prehispanic Health concept, herbalists, Temazcal (indigenous sweat lodge), the function of midwives, healers and shamanes.

• Visits to a healer, to the Etnobotanical Garden, and to Tepoztlán to gather herbs and plants.

Week two: Institutional healthcare

Focuses on issues like public and private healthcare system in Mexico and its costs for government and families, healthcare workers' organizations, medical terminology, AIDS prevention etc.

• Meetings with doctors, nurses and/or deputies of the health commission. Visits to a public and a private hospital, a medical dispensary and a rural clinic and to medical faculty.
  
• One day observation and/or participation in a healthcare center or clinic.

Week three: Alternative healthcare

Focuses on issues like plants, acupuncture, acupressure, flexotherapy and holistic health.

• Visits to the Centro de Salud de Flores Magón, Casa de la Mujer Malintzin and the nursing school.
  
• One day observation and/or participation in an alternative healthcare center.
  
• Talks about health and human rights, healthcare and spirituality and methods of birth control.

Note: All program activities are in Spanish with English translation when necessary.

Homestay with a Mexican family. The experience of sharing daily life with a family provides a vibrant sense of the Mexican people and makes the program more personal and profound. It also provides participants with ample opportunity to practice Spanish in everyday situations. All our families are gay and lesbian friendly.

Note: Hotel or apartment accommodations are also available if you prefer.

Cost: US $ 1,655

[TO GET AN APPLICATION FORM CLICK HERE]

For more information on "Medicine in Mexico: Prehispanic, Institutional, Alternative", please contact:

MC Dra. Martha Mata
infor@cetlalic.org.mx

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