EWH-Duke Summer Institute FAQs
Questions:
1. What are the academic requirements for the application?
3. Is the Summer Institute only for undergraduates?
4. Are Duke students preferred?
5. Do participants get to pick which continent they work in or is it assigned?
8. Is the Summer Institute only for engineers?
9. Do I need to be a member of a chapter to apply?
10. What are the dates for this year’s program?
12. Are EWH trips supervised? Will I be traveling alone?
14. What will I be doing in the hospital each day?
15. Am I going to be responsible for repairing equipment that someone’s life will depend on?
16. Can I get financial aid for the deposit?
17. What expenses will I be responsible for beyond the EWH-Duke fee?
18. Everyone in the hospital will know what I need to do, right?
19. Almost everyone speaks English. So, will I really need to struggle in a foreign language?
Answers:
1. What are the academic requirements for the application?
To be eligible for the program you should have taken two semesters of physics and calculus. AP credit is acceptable for these requirements. Also, either one year of high school or one semester of college-level foreign language is strongly preferred.
Absolutely! You just need to indicate this on your application, or, better yet, submit a transcript that shows your spring classes.
3. Is the Summer Institute only for undergraduates?
The Summer Institute is open to undergraduates, graduate students, professionals, and anyone else in between who fulfills the program requirements. While most of our accepted applicants are enrolled in undergraduate programs, several professionals and graduate students are admitted every year.
4. Are Duke students preferred?
Duke students are not preferred. The program is open to all!
5. Do participants get to pick which continent they work in or is it assigned?
When filling out the application, you can indicate which program you prefer or require. In most cases, students are selected for the program for which they indicated preference.
Because the Summer Institute is such a unique program situated in challenging, cross cultural contexts, GPA will not be the biggest indicator of success. Other factors play an integral role in one's success, more so than simply good grades or even one's chosen academic discipline.
The Summer Institute is a great program open to students from all universities and, in fact, all countries of the world. In the past, we've had participants from the UK, Denmark, India, and South Africa among others! Thus, we invite you to apply. International students are also eligible for financial aid and most applicants receive aid of some sort. The application packet includes a few of the most important fellowships, and you can also apply for individual financial aid.
8. Is the Summer Institute only for engineers?
If you fulfill all of the course requirements for the Summer Institute, then it does not matter if you are an engineer or not. We have had students who are not engineers actually be more successful than the engineers themselves! Do not let the fact that you're not an engineer dissuade you from applying!
9. Do I need to be a member of a chapter to apply?
No. Chapter members who qualify for chapter sponsored fellowships get priority, but the majority of applicants are not members of chapters.
10. What are the dates for this year’s program?
The dates are different each year. This year, there are separate dates for the program in Africa and Central America.
Hospitals are open 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week and they use their equipment all of that time. Nevertheless, it is very rare to need to work on Sunday. It is unusual to work on Saturday, but this does happen. When you are off, plan on taking trips around the country to learn and see more.
12. Are EWH trips supervised? Will I be traveling alone?
EWH trips are not supervised. You will be assigned a partner for your summer and will be assisted periodically or when necessary by your On the Ground Coordinator and Instructor. You will work, study and travel with your partner. You will have contacts in the hospital where you work. However, these contacts are not supervisors. Before you leave, you will be given your primary responsibility for the trip (a new inventory, a map, calibration, etc.). Once on site, you and your partner will be expected to act in a self directed manner, to arrive at work each day on time, and to discuss with the doctors and nurses to identify equipment which is not working. Using this information, you will have to prioritize your time to complete your primary responsibility and help with the equipment. Of course, EWH staff in the US is always available by phone and e-mail to help with problems as they arise, as are your OTGC and Instructor. But, you will not be supervised.
No. If you cannot be part of the program from the first day to the last, then you cannot participate.
14. What will I be doing in the hospital each day?
It is not possible to predict your activities on a day-to-day basis. In some cases, the OTGC or last year’s team will have mapped out some specific needs of the hospital or clinic. You will know before you start your trip what your goals will be in general. However, on any given day you may be calibrating instruments, taking equipment inventory, hospital equipment mapping, interviewing for needs, repairing broken equipment, training the staff, conducting preventative maintenance or dealing with equipment emergencies. Some days may be filled with equipment crises that need your immediate attention, while others you may need to search out equipment needing preventative maintenance, or even start building some equipment from local materials. You will learn about all of these activities during your training. Don’t forget to spend some days talking to the local staff and learning about their lives and cultures!
15. Am I going to be responsible for repairing equipment that someone’s life will depend on?
Yes and no.
Yes. Some equipment will break and will be brought off line for you to work on. In that case, the equipment should not return to service if it does not work properly. During your training, you will learn how to insure that the device you repaired is working properly (minimal calibration procedures). After every repair on site, you will perform the minimal calibration procedure you learned for that equipment. In this way, you can be certain that someone’s life can depend on your work.
No. Some equipment will need your immediate attention. In other words, if you don’t work on the equipment, the patient will not be able to be treated or worse, their condition will deteriorate. Under these circumstances, you must do the best you can. If you don’t help, no one will.
16. Can I get financial aid for the deposit?
No.
17. What expenses will I be responsible for beyond the EWH-Duke fee?
You will be receiving some meals during your trip. Which meals and when varies between Africa and Central America. You will be responsible for paying for the remaining meals. You will need to get back and forth to work and classes each day, which will cost you between one and two dollars per day. There will be one organized social activity during the summer. Outside of this activity, you will be responsible for any expenses associated with social activities. This varies widely depending on the amount of money you spend on social activities. You will need to pay entrance and exit fees for each country you visit.
18. Everyone in the hospital will know what I need to do, right?
Wrong! Even in the developing world, hospitals are large, complex organizations. Some people will know that you are coming and what you will be doing and others won't. You should expect to have to repeatedly introduce yourself and explain your purpose there. Often, these are great opportunities to ask about that person's background and purpose in the hospital. You may start a lifelong friendship this way!
19. Almost everyone speaks English. So, will I really need to struggle in a foreign language?
Everyone does not speak English in the hospitals where you are going. You may find a few people who do, but very few. In Africa more English is spoken, but your success depends on your mastery of introductory Swahili. You are genuinely expected to learn a substantial amount of the foreign language and use it. Some people find it quite advantageous to start studying as soon as they are accepted into the program. Often your level of enjoyment of the summer and your acceptance at the hospital will depend on your mastery of the foreign language.
No. Living and working in the developing world is quite difficult. You should expect to find significant challenges in the simple tasks of your daily living (including such basics as drinking water, bathing and going to the bathroom) and at work (working temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas of the hospital are not atypical).
