International
immersion experiences do not, in themselves, provide students with the opportunity
to develop cultural competence. However, using an anthropological lens to
educate students allows them to learn how to negotiate cultural differences by
removing their own cultural filters and seeing events through the eyes of those
who are culturally different. Faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s
Global Health Institute believed that an embedded experience, in which students
engaged with local communities, would encourage them to adopt this Cultural
Competency 2.0 position. With this goal in mind, they started the Field School
for the Study of Language, Culture, and Community Health in Ecuador in 2003 to
teach cultural competency to medical, veterinary, pharmacy, and nursing
students. The program was rooted in medical anthropology and embraced the One
Health initiative, which is a collaborative effort of multiple disciplines
working locally, nationally, and globally to obtain optimal health for people,
animals, and the environment. In this article, the authors identify effective
practices and challenges for using a biocultural approach to educating
students. In a semester-long preparatory class, students study the Spanish
language, region-specific topics, and community engagement principles. While in
Ecuador for five weeks, students apply their knowledge during community visits
that involve homestays and service learning projects, for which they partner
with local communities to meet their health needs. This combination of language
and anthropological course work and community-based service learning has led to
positive outcomes for the local communities as well as professional development
for students and faculty.