The effects of study abroad on pre-healthcare professionals

The United States is a racially and culturally diverse country. The clients who use the U.S. healthcare system reflect this ever-growing diversity. Understanding the value systems, practices, and beliefs of other people from various backgrounds assist healthcare workers to provide culturally sensitive care. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of study abroad experiences on pre-healthcare professionals' personal and professional skills. A quantitative survey with a short qualitative section was used to collect empirical data. The questions aimed to determine if studying abroad increased the participants' cultural competence, cultural sensitivity, and interpersonal skills. Participants were a small convenience sample of pre-healthcare students or graduates from The University of Scranton who studied abroad within the last three years. The response rate was 87.5 percent (n equals 14) and included participants enrolled in counseling, nursing, and exercise science programs. The quantitative data was put into an SPSS 10. 1 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) database. Qualitative themes were extracted from the narrative sections of the surveys to provide converging evidence to support the results. Results clearly indicated the participants' study abroad experiences had positive affects on personal and professional behaviors. Participants reported increased cultural competence, cultural sensitivity, improved interpersonal skills, and enhanced personal skills such as becoming more independent and responsible