| News: February 3, 2009: Study Abroad Opportunities Abound at Bastyr | November 21, 2009 |
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Study Abroad Opportunities Abound at Bastyr
Bastyr takes pride in its international flavor, being both a place where borders dissolve — the student body is drawn from all across the U.S. and 28 other countries — and a school that respects and incorporates the healing traditions of other cultures. To this end, the University supports a variety of study abroad experiences that count toward university credit. Such opportunities include: an internship program in China through the School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine; a course in Italy through the Department of Botanical Medicine; and preceptorships in Vanuatu, an independent island nation off the coast of Australia, for students pursuing a Certificate in Naturopathic Midwifery. "It was the perfect capstone to my master's program," says Brandon Leahy, 26, of the China trip. "It was incredibly worth it to study there with doctors who have made this science their life's work."  A recent Master of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MSAOM) graduate, Leahy was among a group of students who completed internships at two of Bastyr's sister schools, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The internship, which focuses primarily on clinical observations, is intended to give students an insight into the roots and mainstream practice of their medicine."It played a role in my decision to come to Bastyr," says Leahy of the opportunity to study in China. "For me it was comforting to know that Bastyr had relationships with not one, but two prestigious TCM schools in China, and that we would be able to graduate with that first-hand experience and knowledge under our belts." The China, Italy and Vanuatu trips may be the best-known of Bastyr's study abroad opportunities; however, travel options aren't limited to specific degree programs. Many students also take advantage of the Student Council’s venture grant program, which has helped more than 170 students fund trips to 36 different countries since 2000. Applicants are awarded grants up to $1,000 each for developing innovative projects that will benefit the communities they visit and, later, the Bastyr community when they return and share what they've learned. Past venture grants have helped fund such trips as: a month-long stay in the Basque region of Spain to study local cuisine and develop a cookbook; a two-week stay in Nepal to help develop a more comprehensive approach to child care; and a month-long stay in Malawi to study traditional African medicine.
Many Bastyr students also choose to augment their education through trips organized by University clubs, such as Action Africa Club, or with international medical volunteer organizations such as Natural Doctors International (NDI). Recently, 10 naturopathic medicine students from Bastyr traveled to Nicaragua with NDI to study "liberation medicine" — loosely defined as empowering patients to transform their environments in ways that promote health and sustainability — on the island of Ometepe. Jenny Nelson, a third-year naturopathic medicine student who helped organize the brigade, says the nature of an education at Bastyr prompts many students to become involved in such trips. "Bastyr combines a serious commitment to science with a holistic approach based on listening and careful observation," says Nelson, 33, who has an undergraduate degree in international relations from Stanford University. "I really feel our training is so strong for that reason. We develop a cultural sensitivity in how we practice our medicine that translates well to international settings. We're able to listen and treat patients within the context of their surroundings." With this in mind, Nelson, a team leader on the Student Council, is working with a group of students to develop an "international health portal" on Bastyr's student intranet site. She says the idea is to give students both a place to easily explore travel opportunities and a resource for understanding how to fund such trips. The hope: to get even more students involved in international health and to continue to bring knowledge to Bastyr through the roots of other cultures. The goal is to have the portal up and running by the end of the academic year. "Bastyr's medicine offers a lot to international communities," Nelson says. "But there's also a lot that can be learned by going on these trips. We enhance our medicine by bringing knowledge back from the places we visit." For more information about study abroad opportunities, contact the Office of Admissions at (425) 602-3330 or admissions@bastyr.edu. 
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Bastyr University doesn't have a degree program in international relations, but it might as well. Last September alone, Bastyr students traveled to China to study traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Italy to study herbal medicine, and Ecuador to study medical Spanish and complete rotations in public hospitals. In fact, if one picked up a globe and chose any country in the world, chances are a Bastyr student has either studied, lived or worked there — or has plans to in the near future. 
