From Albania to Zimbabwe: Surveying 10 Years of Summer Field Experiences at the Rollins School of Public Health

The objective of this article is to describe summer field experiences at the Rollins School of Public Health. An online survey was conducted among Master of Public Health students returning from summer field experiences. We used printed reports from 2004–2012 and original survey data from 2010–2013 to perform a trend analysis using correlation analysis and linear regression. We found that our students have worked for more than 300 organizations in 84 countries. The average cost of a summer field experience fluctuated around US$3,500, with students receiving an average of US$2,180 in funding. About 50% of students conducted human subjects research. This survey was used to improve student practical experiences through information sessions for students and feedback to key constituents, including the Emory Institutional Review Board and the Emory Travel Clinic.