First-Year Students*

MDGH 607 - Clinical Experience in a Developing Country

*Offered in the summer between the first and second year of medical school. 

This elective facilitates the development of the qualities and abilities necessary to work globally as a physician.  Students will learn about the health care system, clinical practices, and culture of the host country and will be able to compare and contrast the clinical practices and health care systems of the local community with those in the United States.

A patient log, an essay, and a presentation are required.

This elective may only be completed at approved Global Health/International Experience sites. 

Second-YEAR STUDENTS

MDGH 602 - Emerging Issues in Global Health

This course provides an introduction to the major competencies for responsible participation in global health initiatives. Students will learn to distinguish issues in providing medical care in different countries, in under-resourced areas, and with language groups other than their own. Students will develop techniques for assessing their attitudes toward different cultures and language groups, and evaluate the competencies, skills and strengths they can bring to global health initiatives. 

Fourth-Year Students

MDGH 800 - Global Health Elective 

This elective facilitates development of qualities and abilities necessary to work globally as a physician. Students have the opportunity to refine and develop educational, professional and personal goals and objectives that will support 1) pursuit of their vision in global health and 2) acquisition of the abilities necessary to address the health needs of the people of the world — especially the poor — with compassion, integrity, high ethical standards and a high level of competence. Students may arrange any combination of clinical, development or research experience for one to twelve weeks outside the borders of the U.S. and Canada under the direction of the course director. 

M4s can choose an RFUMS-approved site or a Child and Family Health International (CFHI) site. Elective sites are subject to approval by Drs. Brenda Affinatti and Mildred M.G. Olivier.

MDGH 803 - International Health Care

This elective is designed to expose students to health systems and physicians of high resource countries other than the United States. These physicians and systems would serve as role models and we expect that future physicians adapt some of their decision-making processes from these international role models. At the end of this elective, students will be able to clinically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. healthcare system in comparison to the country visited.