Community Rotation 101

Community rotation: 4 weeks in rural Ghana​

**DISCLAIMER**  This page is specific to Iowa State University's international option for their internship.  I did not have any clinical rotations besides Ghana, but I did work at WIC for a year, if you are curious about that experience, let's chat!

ISUs community rotation program is advertised as:

  • The first in the nation to offer an international component in an underserved country.

  • Located in Accra and Asesewa region of Ghana, Africa, you will:

    • Perform the nutrition care process in the rural underserved Ghanaian communities of the Upper Manya Krobo district.

    • Enhance your professional skills through practicing nutritional assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation.

    • Improve your cultural understanding through shared experiences with local Ghanaian dietetic interns/students.

    • Understand and demonstrate your ability to support existing heath care and community systems through nutrition-related activities.

    • Schedule:

      • Week 1 will be spent in Legon at the University of Ghana in the Accra region.

      • Week 2 interns will travel to the rural Asesewa region to meet their community and partners and to visit Nutrition and Research Center.

      • Weeks 2 and 3 will have weekdays in Asesewa, traveling back to Accra for the weekends.

      • Week 4 will consist of wrapping up the intervention, monitoring, and evaluation components with group presentations at the University of Ghana on the Friday before departure.

Now heres how it actually is:

Match day to the day we left for Ghana:

  • We started to prep during orientation in January, we were seated together and had separate meetings during the week to talk about travel requirements and expectations. 

  • I got my vaccinations taken care of in January, some of the girls did theirs closer to leaving.

  • I bought my flight to Ghana in February (with a week in Paris on the way there), and bought my trip home in March/April (with 2 weeks in Europe on the way).

  • Other than that, I didn't really do anything more until the end of May 

  • You'll have a "Ghana prep week"  scheduled into your rotations - the week before you officially start in Ghana

    • Pro tip- do these assignments before hand! You do not have to wait until that week to do them!

    • If you can, use this week (4-6 days) as a chance to travel somewhere else on the way there.  Your instructor will probably advise otherwise, but it's a nice way to relax between rotations so you come Ghana fresh and energized!

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Once you get to Ghana:

  • LOTS of cultural education

    • The education you receive before hand may be repeated in Ghana, which is great if you maybe are new to visiting new cultures.  

  • VERY research focused

    • This rotation is almost entirely focused on the research paper.  Which is great to give experience with data collection and compilation, but please be prepared for the fact that you do not spend a whole lot of time in the field (about 7 days of the 4 weeks). The Ghanaian interns are far more familiar with the data collection than we (Americans) are, so they can teach you a thing or two!

  • As far as the packing list goes, it may need an update

    • Our Ghanaian interns were wearing jeans and clothes just like ours the whole time!

    • Bring the loose "appropriate clothes" for the field, but when you're at the nutrition center, you can wear tank tops or leggings

  • Food is spicy - but try it ALL.  It's delicious!

  • If you take the public transit, I would suggest to do so in smaller groups=less stressful. 

    • I took it for the first time with just one other intern and it was very easy.  I can't imagine doing it with all 12 of us.

  • Make time for yourself, living with 11 other women is crazy!

  • Go on the runs with Mr. Awal in the mornings, even if you're not a runner!! He is hilarious and so worth trying to crack his outer shell. 

  • Basically once we got to rural asesawa, we lived with all the american + Ghanaian interns while we prepped for data collection and a massive community education event. The weekends had fun events and tours planned which was awesome to split it up! I honestly can’t believe I didn’t do more reflection on this rotation, but the travel+living with 11 other women in a foreign country really took priority. If you are curious to hear more about this experience please reach out!