MD students at IU School of Medicine can benefit from a variety of global health experiences. Beginning with the first year of training, medical students take a course that advances their cultural competency and can join a student interest group dedicated to global health. Summer and spring break programs allow for deeper immersion, and a range of electives allow for specialty focus in various aspects of global health.
Student Interest Group
Medical students interested in global health are encouraged to participate in the Global Health Student Interest Group (SIG), a student-led organization that hosts meetings, lectures and activities.
MD Electives
Fourth-year medical students are invited to spend two months in Eldoret, Kenya. Students live alongside Kenyan medical students working in wards (general medicine, pediatrics, reproductive health or surgery) and outpatient clinics, and participate in AMPATH-related and local activities, including the Tumaini Center for Street Children, Rafiki Center for Excellence in Adolescent Health and Sally Test Child Life Program. Students attend lectures and discussions on ethical and global health issues facilitated by permanent IU School of Medicine faculty in Kenya. Upon return, students complete a debriefing session, a journal article or book review, and a reflection/analysis paper. Email Jenny Baenziger for more information.
Fourth-year medical students can travel to various areas across the globe to learn about and participate in health care in a developing country. Participating students complete orientation and debrief sessions, write a journal article or book review, and submit a reflection/analysis paper. Email Jenny Baenziger for more information.
This IU School of Medicine elective is a domestic global health opportunity to participate as an advocate in the community. This is a four-week local experience in Indianapolis with focus on cultural competencies in a global health experience designed to immerse students in direct understanding of the barriers that foreign born patients face in the local medical system, as well as increase the medical knowledge related with travel and tropical medicine.
Contact: Jennifer Custer
ENLACE's Spanish Preparation for Global Health elective is a transformative language immersion program designed to better prepare aspiring global health practitioners with the linguistic and cultural tools necessary to excel in cross-cultural healthcare settings.
Contact: Jennifer Custer
In this course, students study the ethics of global health volunteerism through numerous topics from a variety of perspectives and complete 40 hours of one-on-one Spanish classes with personalized lessons taught by a native-Spanish speaker through real-time online video conferencing.
Contact: Jennifer Custer
The global health elective in Ghana is a four-week international health experience designed to immerse 3rd and 4th year students in the Ghanaian culture including language, public health issues and Ghanaian spiritual beliefs intersecting with health and illness. Students receive training by TMS Global (partnering institution) and Ghanaian professionals on language, culture and medical care as it relates to the patient-doctor relationship and medical decision-making. Students think critically about global health challenges and practices while developing basic Twi language skills and working side by side with host country health care providers located at the Ankaase Hospital in Ankaase, Ghana. Clinical work occurs at community, mission-based health care facilities and governmental based public health organizations. Contact Stacey Patrick for more information.
Students will have an opportunity to learn global health principles and have an alternative opportunity to connect virtually with global health organizations and international global health partners. For more information contact Jennifer Custer.