Testimonials


BSc (Hons) International Health 2011-12

"The International Health BSc has been my best year of medicine so far. Some people call social science intercalated degrees like this one called a soft option; ignore them! The course challenges: it teaches critical thinking, how to understand complex global issues which affect human health, and how to reason with quantitative evidence. These kinds of skills are not learnt studying scientific BSc’s and so I have a highly competitive advantage over my peers in my future career. The year has left me confident to rise to the challenge that global health poses to modern medical professionals. The BSc is ideal for anyone with a prior interest in global health, or people like me who read into current affairs and are interested in the social, political and economic factors affecting health.  Be prepared for the course to open your eyes!"
William Burch

BSc (Hons) International Health 2010-11

"This course provided the most interesting year of study of my life. Not only has it given me an understanding of the health systems, global health institutions and the social determinants of disease, but has also opened doors to elements of medicine, public health and epidemiological research, that I would otherwise not have had access to, nor considered. I both thoroughly recommend it and hope to see studies of this type become compulsory for all medical students. The issues affect all 7 billion of us!"
Timesh Pillay

"The iBSc in Global Health was a fantastic insight into the complexities of health and its determinants worldwide. The topics covered were both sobering and inspiring, and the teaching challenged our accepted biomedical understanding of disease and placed it within a broader social context. UCL's contacts at WHO, UNICEF, DfID, Oxfam and many others made the year a richer experience. As well as academically fascinating, the BSc - and the summer trip to Geneva - was a really social time with other like-minded students and with the friendly and knowledgeable staff. I can't recommend this BSc enough."
Isaac Ghinai

BSc (Hons) International Health 2009-10

"I am truly grateful for having had the opportunity to study the International Health iBSc. The course surpassed all my expectations, offering the chance to learn more about topics I was fascinated in and exposing me to entirely new areas of knowledge. This course challenges you with new ways of thinking about and analysing health and social problems, complementing the undergraduate medical degree. In the best possible way, the iBSc will transform the way you view medicine and the world beyond, helping you understand health as a social, political and economic entity.

"Any BSc is as only as good as those teaching it; fortunately all the academic staff involved in teaching this iBSc were excellent in every respect. I would recommend the International Health iBSc to all students, you won't regret it."
Joel Schamroth

"International health was easily the best year of education I have ever had. All the tutors went out of their way to help us make the transition from a science based mentality to feeling competent at reviewing literature and thinking critically. Would do it all over again."
Georgie Thomas

BSc (Hons) International Health 2008-9

"For me, this year was a fantastic opportunity to think, to learn and to develop. The curriculum ranges through some of the most interesting areas in global health, whilst the lectures and tutorials challenge you to engage, to develop your own views and to express them coherently. The iBSc inspired me to take a further year out to do an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy, and I feel it has given me a useful springboard from which to dive into a career in humanitarian medicine."
Peter Siordet Scolding

"This is a brilliantly taught and well structured course that equips one with the knowledge and skills to appreciate a more multi-dimensional view of health and healthcare. The modules are led by supportive and inspiring tutors who encourage autonomous and lateral thinking. The course provides an  opportunity to explore politics, economics and modern history in an approachable and relevant way. It was by far the most challenging, rewarding and enjoyable academic year I experienced at UCL."
Maxine Chan

"The International Health BSc at UCL was definitely one of the most enjoyable and informative years for me as a university student. The incredible depth and diversity that is packed into a single year will help anyone to broaden their understanding of health and healthcare both locally and globally. From basic economic principles to pandemic planning - there was always plenty of food for thought in the group tutorials and discussions. It was a year that provided a completely alternative perspective on my role as a health care professional and enabled me to actively pursue a career in public health. The rate at which medical courses at universities across the country are incorporating Global Health into their curriculum is testament to the importance of this subject and the experience of UCL in the field is well established. The international health course has undoubtedly helped me to see the needs of patients and healthcare providers in a more holistic manner and hopefully made me a better doctor in the process."
Salmaan Khan

BSc (Hons) International Health 2007-8

"This was by far and away the most stimulating and profitable period I had during my medical studies and it has shaped my career since. For any student interested in the bigger picture and the larger questions that govern health care delivery in a variety of settings, this BSc is a must do."
James Church

"Studying the International Health BSc was everything I hoped it would be, and more – I really did learn a ridiculous amount, and given my personal ambitions to work within the global health context I found it by far the most enjoyable, interesting and relevant of all 6 years at medical school. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough, particularly to those who enjoy partaking in a healthy discussion and who wish to further their understanding of the way in which the world works - economically, politically, and in relation to the provision of healthcare specifically. It was a fascinating and intellectually stimulating experience headed by a friendly, passionate and awesomely intelligent team – what a wonderful year!"
Jo Brilliant

"The International Health iBSc was an excellent opportunity to explore healthcare and medicine from a completely different perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and exposure to the modules particularly Maternal & Child health and Conflict in Medicine, which were diverse and fascinating. Not only did they further my knowledge in the field with it's relation to my career as a doctor but it broadened my perceptions of healthcare at large in the global setting. I have always been interested in working with medicine in the developing world and particularly in the humanitarian/conflict context; the iBSc course equipped me with a more informed viewpoint and I will always be indebted to the learning I gained there.  More than the academic acumen achieved I relished the teaching opportunities and field experts who taught me. Their specialist knowledge and experience was fascinating, thorough and completely unique; of all the iBScs offered I think it is this quality that International Health offers singularly, the opportunity to learn from and with great people."
Aniket Nadgir

"Studying International Health at UCL was fascinating, inspiring and rewarding. It was an eye-opening year, providing excellent discussion and debate on the social, political and economic determinants of health. For many on the course like myself, these areas had been neglected in medical school. The tutors are very supportive and always friendly, the classes small enough for good debate, and the courses are exceptionally well planned. I also learnt a lot from the people I met on the course, many of whom I am still friends with today.

"The course prepared me well for my current MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing, and also for working in sub-Saharan Africa.

"If you want to understand what causes health and disease, what causes inequalities in health, and why people in some countries are healthy and in others they are not, then you should do this course."
Peter Baker

View testimonials from earlier years

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