This is a great opportunity for pre-health students. They welcome applications from students with a broad range of backgrounds, interests, and majors.
UW’s study abroad program called “HONORS/MED London: Socializing Medicine – Comparing the Concept of ‘Safety Net Hospitals’ in the UK and US” is taking place during summer 2025 and applications are due Jan 31st.
About the course: It will explore the concept of “socialized medicine” through comparison of the development, implementation, and outcomes of a public healthcare system in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) with the US’ market-driven healthcare system and what are often referred to as US public “safety-net” hospitals. We will bring together threads from health-related fields such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, health administration, and public health as well as broader fields such as history, economics, public policy, and sociology in order to answer the questions: What role does medicine play within society and what forces shape delivery of healthcare? Based in London, this program will draw upon visits to important cultural and historical sites to probe how various topics (multiculturalism and immigration, collectivism vs. individualism, military conflict, technologic innovations, and shared civic duty) inform societal capacity towards or away from a “socialized” medical system. Additionally, through observational field study and site visits, students will observe, compare, and critique the current state of health and healthcare delivery as well as outcomes in both the UK and US with an eye towards equity and justice.
Although the course is housed through the Honors program student membership in Honors is NOT a requirement for participation. It is cross-listed with both Honors and Medicine – this means students can elect to receive either HONORS 233 or MED 490 credits.
Details:
- Program brochure: Available here
- Applications/deadline: Currently open and being reviewed on a rolling basis. Priority deadline is Jan 31, 2025.
- Information sessions:
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out directly to mbann@uw.edu and the Program Coordinator, Tory Brundage (toryb@uw.edu).
