Hey all!
My name is Alex Kiturkes and I am a senior in Biomedical Engineering at UofM. I will be going on a study/work/volunteer abroad program this summer in Costa Rica called Engineering World Health. The program begins on June 10th where I will be headed to Costa Rica for a month where I will receive intensive training in medical instrumentation and spanish. The following month, I will be headed to either Honduras or Nicaragua where I will be working/volunteering in a third world hospital repairing their medical devices. These hospitals have a lot of equipment that unfortunately are in desperate need of repair and they either do not have the funds or the technicians to perform the necessary tasks. This is where our program comes in and students work in the hospitals in pairs in these two countries. The conclusion of the program ends with a presentation with other students in the program in Washington DC on August 14th. For more information, visit the program's website at: Engineering World Health Summer Institute
The program was founded by a professor at Duke University named Dr. Robert Malkin. He was apart of the Dean's Seminar Series in the College of Engineering where he came to U of M and discussed his work, including Engineering World Health. I was fortunate enough to have dinner with him during his visit here and learned how he begin this endevour.
Currently, I am still filling out all the paperwork, getting the rounds of vaccinations, and waiting for more detailed information about the program. I will keep you posted once I know more so check back often!
