Dominican Republic
Health Outreach Program

January 2-15, 2010

In this program, students deliver community health services and education while attempting to overcome basic obstacles such as language barriers and different educational and social conditions. Students are immersed in the culture as they work personally with local partners and with the hundreds of patients who seek out this service. This twice yearly program is directed by USM faculty members Jean Burton and Ben Towne. Other USM faculty and health professionals assist with the services and learning opportunities.

This service-learning program is open with permission to nursing, athletic training, and Spanish language students. Spanish language proficiency is helpful but not necessary to participate. The program also welcomes community volunteers as interpreters, medical and health specialists, and community health advocates and supporters. The program requires a substantial planning period prior to the trip with fundraising for health supplies, planning meetings and packing of village health supplies.

Faculty

Jean Burton, APRN-BC, is a lecturer at USM. She obtained her Master's degree in nursing from USM in 1998 and was certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She completed post master's requirements in 2000 was certified as a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and currently works full time in that profession. Jean first attended the Dominican Republic Program as a graduate student in 1997. She has attended the program multiple times since then as a volunteer and as a team leader.

Michelle Stirling, MS in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, USM 2008. This will be Michelle's fifth trip to the Dominican Republic. She first became involved in the summer of 2006. Michelle is currently an Internal Medicine Nurse Practitioner at the Maine Centers for Healthcare in Westbrook.

Lois Tiedekin, MS, ANP-BC is an Adult Nurse Practitioner, working in Internal Medicine with a concentration in Diabetes, Care Management and Women’s Health. She also holds a certificate in Anti-Coagulation Therapy. She first attended the DR program as a graduate Nurse Practioner student in 1997.

Ben Towne, MA, ATC, is a Lecturer in the Exercise, Health and Sport Sciences Department and also Interim Program Director and Clinical Coordinator of the Athletic Training Education Program. Ben first assisted with the Dominican Republic program in the winter of 2007.

Courses

Students can take a variety of courses while in the Dominican Republic. Students should check with the faculty members and ensure that they meet all prerequisites.

NUR 316 Child Health Nursing Lab	3 Cr.
NUR 327 DR Community Nursing Partnership II	4 Cr.
NUR 419 Community Nursing Partnership for RN in the D.R.	2 Cr.
NUR 437 Community Nursing Partnership for Accel B.S. Students	3 Cr.
NUR 495 Independent Study in the D.R.	1-3 Cr.
CON 495 Independent Study in the D.R.	1-3 Cr.
SPM 499 Athletic Training Service Learning in the D.R.	3 Cr.
NUR 538 Community Nursing Partnership - Option Students	3 Cr.
NUR 595 Independent Study in the DR	1-3 Cr.
CON 595 Independent Study in the DR	1-3 Cr.
SPA 399 Spanish Language in the DR	3 Cr.

Tuition

The program fee is $1380 plus the cost of tuition and fees at the in-state rate. The program fee includes airfare, accommodation and three meals a day (except lunch on the beach day), scheduled in-country travel, site visits, a one-day excursion to an ocean-side town, and emergency medical and evacuation insurance through iNext.

Not included in this program is tuition, regular USM academic fees, books, passports, academic supplies, immunizations, food while on the one-day excursion, and other personal expenses. Undergraduate tuition is $231 per credit and the unified fee is $26 per credit. Graduate tuition is $347 per credit and the unified fee is $26 per credit. The winter session is part of the fall semester and these additional credits may put you in a higher bracket for other academic fees. Please visit the Student Billing website for complete information on tuition and fees.

Short-term travel programs have special tuition rates for out-of-state students. The out-of-state tuition rate is equal to the in-state tuition rate. For more information please contact the Winter Session Office.

Application

A complete application includes all of the following items listed below and must be submitted to the Office of International Programs. The application deadline for students enrolling in NUR 327 and NUR 437 is April 30, 2009. For all other students, the application deadline is September 25, 2009.

* Signed, completed application form
* $200 non-refundable deposit (applied to the program cost)
* Typed 200-word essay
* A letter of recommendation from a faculty member or academic advisor
* Official copies of all academic transcripts

Incomplete applications will not be accepted. You will be notified by e-mail of your application status. If your application is not accepted, the nonrefundable deposit will be returned. If the program is canceled for any reason by the USM, all deposits will be returned.

* If you are having trouble downloading the application, please contact us at (207) 780-4959 or e-mail the webmaster and we will send you one. You may also want to try upgrading to the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Admissions

Short-term travel programs are open to any student who meets the academic prerequisites of the course and has at least 15 credit hours of university instruction. You must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to participate in any travel abroad program or carry the permission of the instructor. All participants require final approval by the faculty member. The University of Southern Maine also reserves the right to review conduct records as part of our application process and student conduct records are taken into account when making the determination on an applicant. Individual programs may have specific academic requirements not listed here.

Financial Aid

Federal financial aid and loans are available to matriculated students who participate in travel programs. The winter session is considered part of the fall semester and fall semester aid may be used towards the tuition, fees and travel costs. Please apply as early as possible. If you have questions about financial aid, please contact the financial aid office at (207) 780-4166. If you are not a matriculated student at USM, please check with the financial aid office at your institution.

Scholarships

USM undergraduate and graduate students who have completed Spanish courses and have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 may apply for the Dorothy B. Padula Memorial Fund Scholarship. Demonstrated financial need is not required, but may be considered. Applications are considered twice during the fall semester. Students may apply by October 2, 2009 or November 6, 2009.

Students may also seek scholarships through external sources. The following two organizations have study abroad scholarship databases: IIE Passport: Study Abroad Scholarship Database and Transitions Abroad: Study Abroad Funding Web Sites

Pre-Departure Orientation

Short-term international study programs have a mandatory pre-departure orientation to help prepare you for your program. The pre-departure meeting will be scheduled in the fall and cover issues including travel tips, student safety, conduct, and medical concerns.You may download the Pre-Departure Orientation in PowerPoint. Be sure to view it in "Notes" format for more information.

All accepted students also receive a copy of our Pre-Departure Handbook. We also have a special handbook for the Dominican Republic.

Program Policies

Student Conduct

Participants in short-term travel programs are expected to conduct themselves in a mature and responsible fashion. Any violation of the University of Maine System Student Conduct Code may be sufficient grounds for dismissal from the program. If dismissed, a participant forfeits all payments and deposits and is responsible for his or her own return as well as other fees associated with their dismissal. USM does consider prior student conduct records when making acceptance decisions.

Cancellation Policy

USM reserves the right to cancel the program due to low enrollment, changing political or economic factors, unusual circumstances or any other event which would dramatically impact the nature of the course or the ability of the faculty to conduct such a course. If USM cancels the course due to low enrollment, the non-refundable deposit and any payments made toward the program will be refunded to the student. Other costs incurred by the student will not be subject to refunds.

Medical Insurance

All participants are automatically enrolled in the basic level of iNext supplemental travel insurance. USM strongly recommends that students carry full health insurance in addition to the iNext coverage. Please call the Office of International Programs at (207) 780-4959 for more information.