Since 2004, EWH Summer Institutes have provided young engineers with the chance to live in a developing country with a local family, learn a new language and use newly acquired technical skills to improve health care in the community. One month of training is followed by a month of service in a local hospital during which participants install and repair equipment, train the staff, take inventory, solve problems and perform other engineering duties.

The program is open to qualified people from all countries. Although a majority of participants are undergraduate and graduate students, the program often includes postgraduates and some young professional engineers. In addition to improving the quality of health care, the program offers participants a life-changing experience and the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to international development. For many it is the beginning of a long-term commitment to helping poor and vulnerable people.

EWH draws upon program alumni when looking for engineers who can provide technical support for sophisticated medical technology in resource-poor settings, solving engineering challenges using solutions that circumvent such constraints as unreliable power and the lack of spare parts.

The EWH-Duke Summer Institute has been managed by Duke University since 2004 and now enables about 50 participants to go either to Central America or to Tanzania from mid-June to mid-August each year.