The 2012 Travel Study will visit China and Thailand from May 8 to May 19, 2012. If you are interested, please fill the confirmation form and return it to Dr. Noy S. Kay on or before February 11, 2012. Four mandatory orientation meetings: Thursdays, April 5,12,19, & 26 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Location: TBA Travel Study Program can be downloaded: 2012; 2010; 2009; 2008;  2007.

Travel Study Photo Gallery can be downloaded: 2010; 2009; 2008; 2007. (Large file sizes, may take minutes to download.) Travel Study Video can be downloaded: 2007. (Large file size, may take minutes to download.)

Reflections from participants:

"I got to meet new people and practice their way of life. The people themselves were an interesting study. they did things differently than the United States. the food was different. I learned that our Chinese food is Americanized. They do not make our type of food out there." - 2010

"I spoke with some of the elderly as well as the students at the university as they described how everyday life is for them in Korea. They gave me a lot of tips and insight for the city. I plan to keep in contact via Facebook with the students." - 2010

"I was pleasantly surprised to see how advanced and westernized Korean is as a nation. I have always been aware that the country is a successful producer of technology, but I was surprised at how much that permeated society from the hospitals, to malls, to bathrooms, etc." - 2010

"I gained the knowledge that I am able to travel internationally by myself and could go to school by myself in a foreign country." - 2010

"Most of the services in the Hospital (in Seoul) are based on the Internet (for example, electronic medical record, hospital accounting and vending machine for book). Also I was so surprised that patient's room for the rich is like luxury hotel."  - Mika (2009)

"I was able to see the world for the first time! I have more motivation to continue my college education so I can learn more about the places that I visited and hopefully see them again one day. I was able to have first-hand knowledge about the health care systems and policies in each of the countries - which was a priceless experience."  - Caitlin (2009)

"In Thailand, women's health. prenatal, and postnatal care were all discussed during our visit to the Ministry of Public Health. I was impressed by the 90 days maternity leave allowed, and the fact that husbands were also allowed maternity leave after a birth." - Elizabeth (2009)

"I learned a lot from this trip with many cultures, languages, belief systems and policies of governments. A simple thing as nodding the head may mean something completely different in another culture."  -  Amtush (2009)

"I will admit that prior to the travel study trip I did not have a strong interest in international health and international health research. but after the first day it was virtually impossible not to find differences between western and eastern cultures interesting."  - Jylana (2008)

"I was particularly impressed with the genuinely warm reception from several directors, professors, doctors, and students who enthusiastically welcomed our Indiana University group upon arrival at the respective organizations, some of whom were in the street to greet us as we pulled up."  - Lynda (2008)

"Southeast Asia is a part of the world that I never imagined I would have the chance to visit, and I am so grateful that I was able to go on this trip. I was exposed to a completely different kind of culture than what I am used to."  - Veronica (2008)

"Even the drives on the buses and vans in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Bangkok were eye opening. We were able to see how some of the locals make their living, and seeing what there was to buy taught about their culture in that way."  - Anna (2008)

"I was impressed in Beijing where the children's playground had equipment like the U.S. would have in our workout gyms."  - Charlene (2007)

"The Travel Study opened my eyes to the reality that the USA is not the best in the field of health, and there are many improvements that need to be made."  - Elaine (2007)

"I have been keeping in contact with the students that we met at Chulalongkorn University and I would love to go back next summer and visit them again."  - Carla (2007)

"There would be no better way for me to learn about health care systems than to see it for myself. I learned far more about culture/health care relationships than I ever would from a book. I also learned how to work with people I don't know at all and from relationships based on similar interests to help each other learn." - 2007