One of the hallmarks of a UAC-CP education is its focus on practical and experiential learning across all of its majors. In particular, the nursing program seeks to give their students an up-close view into what it’s like to be a nurse in both rural and urban communities. 

As part of their major requirements, nursing students take a variety of modules that focus on different areas of the field. The Public Health module takes students out into the surrounding communities of the Los Yungas region and beyond to participate in various multi-week “Public Health Practicums”.

There are two different types of practicums: those in which students focus on educating communities about public health topics, and those in which students serve as assistants in local health centers. During their education-focused practicums, students do home visits and host interactive workshops and presentations for families and communities about topics such as disease prevention and promotion of good health practices. During the more skill-focused practicums, students spend two to three weeks working with the medical teams at local health centers in Los Yungas and the city of El Alto. There they perform tasks like assisting patients with their treatments or visiting families with children at risk of certain diseases. In some cases, students will go live in the community near the health center for several weeks, or, once they reach a more advanced level of their education, even a few months. 

Raúl Carita is a final-year nursing student at the College who is currently working on his thesis. Raúl says that these practicums are a necessary way for him and his peers to gain practical experience in the field. They also allow students to share the knowledge they’ve gained from their studies with local communities and make a positive impact before they even graduate.

Originally from a rural community in Los Yungas, Raúl hopes to eventually dedicate his career to working at one of these small local medical centers in the region. Having grown up there, he sees a much greater need for good medical professionals in rural areas than in the large hospitals in La Paz, which are much more equipped. Raúl is eager to enter the workforce and start serving his home community’s healthcare needs — as soon as he finishes his thesis, of course.