MEL 7267S: International Health Elective SELECT 15-16
NOT AVAILABLE TO VISITING STUDENTS
Due to the grant funding of this course, it is only available to students in the SELECT program.
This elective has been designed to provide students opportunities to further explore the SELECT competencies of Leadership, Health Systems and Values-Based Patient-Centered Care at the Institue of Indian Mother and Child (IIMC) in Kolkata, India. IIMC is a non-governmental voluntary organization, committed to promoting child & maternal health, literacy and also aims at accelerating international solidarity and peace. IIMC was founded to give support to the medical needs of the poorest people of West Bengal, India; people who have no access to basic healthcare and medical facilities. Today, IIMC has expanded its activities to include Medical Programs, Health Education & Health Promotion Programs, Network Programs, Education & Sponsorship Programs, and integrated rural developmental projects including women’s economic empowerment through Micro Finance Banking Programs and agricultural programs.
Students will be exposed to health care disparities at an international level through immersion in a different and unique culture and health care system. They will collaborate with local health care professionals and will work alongside of other medical students from different countries, such as Finland, Italy, Spain, New Zealand and Australia. The students will work in the outpatient clinics, in the wards and will simultaneously participate in the community programs such as Women's Peace Council, children's nutrition and educational sponsorship programs. They will accompany the local health care professionals to remote villages and provide out patient care in these remote clinics. This will provide them the unique opportunity to first hand experience the health care and social disparities and they will be able to reflect on their experiences. They will also have the opportunity to develop a practice or system improvement project based on individual interest and experience
Objectives
- Expose students to a different culture and health care system in a developing country
- Experience team work through collaboration with students from different countries and with the local health care professionals all working towards the same goals (Team Effectiveness and Communication)
- Compare and contrast the health care systems in India and USA (Health Systems and Health Disparities)
- Identify the general needs of the local population through an immersion experience (Population centered experience)
Students will be required to complete pre-work for the elective which will include readings, discussions on common health issues they will encounter, and a thorough review of the IIMC website. Pre-work will also include video conversations with staff from IIMC, India. During the elective, the students will keep a daily journal and submit weekly reflections on the experience. At the end of the elective students will be required to provide a report on their individual practice or system improvement project and also a summary of their entries into their daily journaling.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated by the course directors at the end of the course based on their pre-work, reflections, and final report of the individual project. Students will also be asked to complete a satisfaction survey of the experience and how they will use what they learned from the experience.
Course Requirements
Students must apply and will have to appear at an interview in Year 3. A maximum of 3 students will be selected each year to take this elective in the month of January. The interveiws will be scheduled in the summer of their Year 3.
Any interested student MUST submit their application by June of their third year. They will then meet with Dr. Jain and/or Dr. Smith to discuss individual goals for applying for an elective in international health.
Emergency medical insurance is required for all electives abroad.