Summer in Ghana - Global Health (in English) - ISEP Direct
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
• Study global health in Accra, Ghana’s vibrant coastal capital, where clinical learning unfolds within a city rich in history, culture, and community life. Observe healthcare delivery firsthand while engaging with local patients, providers, and public health systems in one of West Africa’s most dynamic urban centers.
• Earn four U.S. credits by blending 22 hours of instruction with 150 hours of supervised clinical rotations. Explore specialties such as maternal and child health, infectious disease, rehabilitative care, and speech and hearing science while developing cultural humility and ethical global health perspectives.
• Live and learn in a cohort-based program, designed for immersion and fully supported for its five-week duration. With on-site coordination, daily transportation, and structured reflection sessions, you’ll be able to focus on professional growth while building meaningful relationships within a close-knit global health community.
LIFE ABROAD
Experience life in Accra, a coastal capital where Atlantic breezes meet vibrant markets and historic landmarks. Spend your summer moving between morning clinical rotations and afternoons exploring neighborhoods like Jamestown and Osu, navigating Makola Market, and gathering with your cohort to reflect on what you’ve observed. In Ghana, the program and the city are inseparable — daily life, professional learning, and cultural exchange unfold side by side.
Experience & Cultural Engagement
Begin your program with pre-departure modules and an in-country welcome orientation designed to prepare you for ethical, observational clinical engagement. Receive guidance on cultural norms, professional etiquette, and expectations for both the home environment and healthcare settings to ensure respectful and meaningful participation from day one. Orientation also introduces you to Accra through visits to the Arts and Cultural Sales Center and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, grounding your clinical experience in Ghana’s historical and cultural context.
You’ll complete approximately four to six hours per weekday in supervised clinical rotations across several specialties, from infectious disease to maternal health, followed by structured reflection sessions and weekly seminar discussions. When you’re not in rotation, you’ll have ample time on the weekends to explore local markets, arts centers, museums, botanical gardens, or take a day trip to Shai Hills Reserve to enjoy local wildlife. Watch dazzling sunsets as you sip sobolo (hibiscus leaf juice) on popular beaches like Bojo Beach, unspoiled because of its distance from the city, or Labadi Beach — lively by day and one of Accra’s most energetic nightspots.
Live & Dine
Bond with your cohort and amplify your immersion by sharing a guest house in the residential neighborhood of Mamprobi, located approximately 15–20 minutes from your clinical partner site. You’ll live in a shared bedroom that is separated by gender with up to three roommates, and have access to shared bathrooms, communal living rooms with couches and TVs, and air conditioning. The pre-screened guesthouse is in a gated compound where the CFHI local coordinator also resides, helping create a close-knit, supportive, and community-oriented living environment.
For meals, start each morning with a self-serve breakfast at the house and enjoy freshly prepared lunch at the hospital cafeteria, then use the shared kitchen or explore neighborhood eateries in the evenings to try delicious Ghanaian staples like jollof rice, waakye, banku, and fufu.
Explore Ghana
Venture beyond the capital to Aburi Botanical Gardens or Shai Hills Reserve for hiking and wildlife, or travel along the coast to heritage sites central to global history. With bus routes and local flights connecting to other regions and neighboring countries like Togo, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire, you can spend your free time appreciating the diverse cultures of West Africa.
What We Love About This Program
We love that this program is an opportunity for you to gain a cross-cultural understanding of healthcare systems and develop skills transferable to your future career. You'll leave Ghana more adaptable, globally aware, and grounded in purpose.
See ISEP Direct budget and estimated expenses
Course Description
The Global Health program consists of observational clinical rotations combined with interactive coursework to support the emphasis on experiential learning. Participants will also complete required modules and assignments on a digital platform prior to their arrival, to prepare them for their five weeks in Ghana.
This program is available to students from all education levels and may be best suited, but not limited to, students in the following fields of study: pre-med, medical science, residents, public health, nursing, social science, social work, speech language & hearing science, pre-health, occupational therapy, dentistry, pharmacy, and allied health.
In line with CFHI’s commitment to best practices in global health, clinical rotations and public health activities are strictly observational. Participants will have the opportunity to integrate into local healthcare teams and shadow providers by joining them on rounds and observing patient encounters. Students will experience a wide range of clinical activities and may also be asked to assist with clerical duties. Clinical and public health rotation assignments are tailored to participants according to local availability, their educational level, and professional goals and interests.
Credits Earned
The program course is comprised of 22 hours of instruction and 150 hours of clinical rotations granting a total of 4 US credits. Credit is issued by the University of Minnesota, ISEP’s School of Record, and students will receive a University of Minnesota transcript upon successful completion of the program.
If you use financial assistance, please speak with your home coordinator to understand your academic obligations and the requirements for using financial assistance.
Academics
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Academic Calendar
ISEP offers two sessions in the Summer of 2026, 5-weeks each. Dates include:
Session 1: Sat, May 23 – Saturday, June 27.
23 May – Arrive
24 May – Start of Orientation
26 June – Last day of program activities
27 June - Departure
Session 2: Saturday, June 27 – Saturday, August 1
27 June – Arrive
28 June – Start of Orientation
31 July – Last day of program activities
August 1 - Departure
Airport pickup and drop-off services are included.
PASSPORT: All students must have a valid passport to participate in this program. If you do not have a valid passport, we suggest you start the application process as soon as possible.
VISA: Most students attending this program will be required to obtain a tourist visa. For more information on the process and estimated cost, please review the ISEP Country Handbook here. Please note that proof of Yellow Fever vaccination is required documentation for the Ghanaian tourist visa and entry to Ghana.
Semester & Prices (based on your filters)
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