UPEI students study abroad in Italy through Maymester program

Dr. James Moran, UPEI history professor, and Dr. Christian Lacroix, UPEI biology professor, partnered with the University’s Office of Study Abroad and International Partnerships to take 19 students to Italy from May 19–29, 2023, through the Maymester program. This short-term excursion was a faculty-led multidisciplinary experience that provided students with the opportunity to study the history of western medicine. 

Under the guidance of Drs. Moran and Lacroix, the students went to Padua and Bologna, Italy, to view historic collections at medical universities, where they gained an appreciation of the foundations that shaped modern western medicine. Many of the roots of medical knowledge and practices originated in Europe, and institutions in Padua and Bologna, and Montpellier, France, dominated the practice of medicine in the later Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. The early days of formal anatomy teaching and hands-on dissections and operations were pioneered as innovative methods at those institutions. 

Students learned about the historical contexts within which the practice of western medicine emerged; why the medical innovations of the Renaissance period were controversial at the time that they were being made; how this field evolved over time; and current institutional practices of collecting, identifying, classifying, and preserving specimens and artifacts related to the history of medicine. 

Study Abroad opportunities, such as this one, are rich learning experiences that increase students’ understanding of cultures and languages, as well as their global perspective.

Reflecting on his time in Italy, student Dylan MacDougall said, “This experience has already enriched and widened my cultural perspective.” 

Thanks to Universities Canada and Global Skills Opportunities (GSO), the Office of Study Abroad was able to offer domestic students funding for this experience. This funding has increased the overall number of students who have been able to participate in UPEI’s international exchange programs.

The Office of Study Abroad and International Partnerships was pleased to host this successful Maymester experience and is planning to organize another in May 2024.

To stay informed about upcoming Maymesters, visit UPEI Study Abroad.