Skip To Main Content

March Break Trip: Healthcare in Belize

Healthcare and Development

Five young people pose on and around colorful %22BELIZE%22 letters in the foreground, with a calm ocean and cloudy sky in the background.
A man in scrubs explains a medical machine to three young people in blue shirts in a laboratory with equipment in the background.
A young man in a blue shirt and an adult in a yellow shirt observe a falcon perched on the adult's gloved hand, with a fenced enclosure and trees in the background.
A group of people stand in the entrance of a rocky cave with hanging vines in the foreground and a lush, green environment in the background.
A group of people standing in a lush, green field surrounded by a dense forest backdrop.
A group of young people pose with bags of coffee in front of a colorful mural and a rustic outdoor setting.
A man in a maroon shirt and cap demonstrates a process with grains in a bowl in the foreground, while a group of teenagers watches intently in front of a lush, green, tropical background.
In the foreground, a woman grinds corn on a metate while a group of young women watch, and in the background, a thatched-roof structure with a cooking fire is visible.
A tour guide gestures towards a large Mayan pyramid in the background while a group of tourists stands on a grassy area in the foreground.
A young woman in a blue shirt and stethoscope takes a blood pressure reading of another woman in a blue shirt, with a wooden structure and water in the background.
In the foreground, young students in blue uniforms sit at desks in a classroom, while in the background, three young men in blue shirts stand near a whiteboard with a teacher.

Each year, Northfield Mount Hermon offers students opportunities to take part in service-learning programs over spring break.

In the 2026-27 academic year, one program will take students to Belize to engage in an intensive service experience in healthcare settings. 

The program, a partnership with Global Public Service Academies, is open to all students interested in service and cross-cultural exchanges but is designed in particular for students interested in careers in medicine, pharmacy, biomedical engineering, dentistry, public health, and related fields. Students will receive training in facilitating medical interventions and screenings and take part in cultural workshops.
 

A group of young people are seated at a long wooden table in the foreground, with a tropical landscape and buildings in the background.

 

The curriculum includes a pre-trip cocurricular course at NMH on community and social issues, cross-cultural understanding, and basic medical interventions such as measuring blood pressure and infant height and weight. 

Participating students will live in pairs with host families in San Antonio and Bullet Tree in the Cayo District. The clinical work will take place in these towns as well as other communities.

Students will also participate in excursions to better understand the cultural, historical, and natural beauty of the country. 

Read about the experiences of students who recently took part in this program.

Select an image to view gallery.

A group of people stand in a clearing surrounded by lush green trees and ancient stone ruins under a clear blue sky.
Two women in blue shirts organize shelves stocked with medications in a pharmacy.
A young man climbs a rocky cliff face using thick vines in the foreground, while another person watches from below near a cave entrance in the background.
A young woman with a snake around her neck grimaces in the foreground, while a blurry background reveals a room with a painting and windows.
Two young people in blue shirts are preparing medical supplies in the foreground, with shelves of medical equipment visible in the background.
Two people browse colorful textiles and jewelry displayed in a market stall with vibrant decorations.