PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:

Plus3 Global Projects

featuring the university of pittsburgh and senior concierge

The program was developed in a partnership between Campus b and University of Pittsburgh where undergraduate students (business and related fields) from multiple countries had the opportunity to work together on a case competition related to the Brazilian company Senior Concierge, specialized on healthcare assistance to the eldery.

THE SOLUTION

A complete process mapping and analysis of Senior Concierge’s flow, identifying bottlenecks, opportunities, improvements and challenges for the implementation of an IT management solution.

The students were divided into 4 different groups and during 4 weeks they had the chance to experience a full cultural immersion and learn a lot about healthcare management in Latin America through mentoring sessions, meetings with the host company, company talks and lectures. The groups were presented to lectures related social inequalities and health access, project development, business, and also to cultural activities, such as a coffee and a capoeira workshop.

"As professor of marketing at Pitt, I know that in this day and age of rapid innovation and global engagement, our students need to understand the customs and opportunities found beyond our borders. Thanks to the great team at Campus B and their responsive and flexible approach, our students gained invaluable experience in solving problems with counterparts from Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Mexico. Everyone ended the course with many fresh perspectives and skills and ultimately greater global competency. The Campus B facilitators and instructors did an outstanding job in creating a fun and rich program for all."

The international exchange between students from different countries was a very important and crucial element of the experience, since the groups were composed by American and also LATAM students, who contributed not only with their academic and professional experiences, but also with their local knowledge and insights.

Case Competition

10 students from Pittsburgh, 4 Brazilian students, 4 Colombian students, 2 Peruvian students

"To be part of the academic team of this program was a real joy. Working with Pitts Professors and Program Managers, as well as having intense contact with a group of students with an amazing energy and enthusiasm was simply fantastic. Not to mention that we also had inspiring sessions with guests from the most innovative healthcare companies in South America. Truly meaningful learning experience for our students."

Background

The program was designed to promote a true immersion in the field of healthcare management in Latin America, and that involves many aspects connected not only to business, but also with the society, economics and politics. This is a very complex topic, so in order to provide the best experience and a wide understanding, the students had the chance of getting to know more about the company with which they developed the case, and furthermore about key aspects of the LatAm healthcare environment, through company talks with guests from many countries as Peru, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil.

The Results

During those 4-weeks, the following concept and practices were explored:

Work in multicultural teams and development of interpersonal communication skills

The opportunity to work in groups including students from at least 3 different countries was surely unique. It was the key aspect to transform this experience into way more than a virtual class, but more as an international experience. The knowledge brought by each student from their culture, professional experience and academic life supported the construction of brilliant solutions proposed to the host company.

Development of Adaptability and Flexibility

During the project, as the students were working with a real life matter/question, they needed to be very flexible and adapt to the client company needs, schedule and interests, not only making questions, but also validating ideas and trying to create the best fit solution with the resources available.

Exercise Critical Thinking

Working with companies and colleagues from different countries is always a good exercise of critical thinking. On the journey the students were presented with many social and political aspects of Latin America, and with that they were able to compare their own situation not only with each other, but also with other people that may need to deal with more difficult situations, specially related to the access of healthcare. The challenge was to think outside the box on their own and come up with creative solutions that can potentially change reality.

"This experience has been amazing. I love how I got to interact with people from across the world and build friendships that will last me a lifetime. The constant encouragement and support from our campus b leaders really allowed me to grow as a student and as a leader. Although this program was in a virtual setting, the love I built with my leaders and my peers made this program feel like home."

"Working with campus b on the Plus 3 Global Project has been a fantastic 3 week experience. From cultural immersion sessions to powerful lectures from great professors to listening to fun Latin American music before beginning every session, each day had an engaging opportunity to learn and grow. Working with the Latin American students allowed me to learn about new cultures while developing my cross cultural communication skills. The campus b team were very responsive and welcoming, which helped me settle in quickly and focus on learning! Overall, it was a highly valuable experience!"

"I am so grateful to be part of this project, it has been a really great experience and I will be really happy if you launch new projects, best regards from Peru 🇵🇪😃😃"

"Such amazing professors with great lectures; and the support staff made me speechless with all the patience with students and translation. Huge thank you for the opportunity."

"It was an amazing experience and the whole team of Campus B and Pitt were always open to help us out. Thanks for the experience and I look forward to having one of this again sometime! If there is another opportunity like this, please let me know!"

"My teammates were great! I am happy to make new friends around the world."

Written by:

Pamela Camarano and Gabriela Elias

Campus b Team

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