GLOBAL HEALTH MEDICAL ELECTIVES AT UNC

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GLOBAL HEALTH MEDICAL ELECTIVES AT UNC
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Nuts and bolts of planning.
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The most important things to take with you on any
trip.

• A flexible spirit
• Appropriate expectations
• The ability to laugh (even at oneself), learn new
  things in unexpected places, and love
  the people you work with and
  hope to serve.

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What well discuss today

• General issues goals, supervision, models for
  global health experiences
• Financial resources (from UNC and elsewhere) and
  the nuts and bolts of scheduling and planning an
  elective
• Resources and organizations that may be helpful
  AMSA, GHEC, CMDA, AAFP
• Integrating your global health experience back
  into life at home

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Questions to ask as you prepare...
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General questions

• Why are you doing this?
• Learning, travel, service, other???
• For you? For them? For your career? For your
  faith?
• What kind of experience are you hoping for?
• Be realistic.
• How do you hope to integrate this experience into
  your continuing medical education and life?

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Different models of short term global health
experiences

• A short term team experience
• A med student rotation in an established
  hospital/clinic
• A community health oriented experience
• A research experience as part of a research
  project
• A combo language and medical learning
• 1 out of every 5 medical student graduates in the
  USA do an global elective

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PRACTICAL ISSUES..
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When is the best time to go?

• Summer after 1st year (4-6 weeks)
• As a fourth year elective (4 weeks)
• Longer electives/fellowships if you are
  considering an MPH year or a break in your med
  school years

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When do I start to prepare?

• Start thinking about it one year in advance
• Remember everything takes more time than you
  expect

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Where do I start to look into the possibilities?

• Talk with other students/residents or faculty
• Office of International Affairs in SOM
• in transition
• UNC International Health Forum
• UNC/SPH Office of Global Health
• UNC Center for Global Initiatives
• Other organizations see handout for ideas

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How will I pay for this?

• As part of your financial aid package if you are
  receiving credit (must pay tuition)
• UNC International health fellowships and other
  UNC based scholarships (most deadlines for
  application are in early spring)
• OTHER scholarships and grants
• Kind family and friends
• Wait tables

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How much will this cost?

• AMSA estimated in 2003 that the average med
  student spent 2000 on a 6 week overseas
  elective. Most of this cost is the airline
  ticket. Now probably closer to 2500.
• Hidden costs visa, immunizations, etc
• Some well organized programs now have global fees
  that cover everything more expensive, but may
  be worth it
• Travel health insurance - 1 per day. MANDATORY
  for UNC med students on approved global electives
  for which you are planning to get credit.

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Some possibilities for UNC global health
electives

• UNC Faculty member needs to serve as a preceptor
  and credit/course arrangements made in advance.
• FMME 225/425 Martha Carlough/Lisa Slatt or Beat
  Steiner for Honduran Health Alliance
• SOCM 204/404 Alan Cross/Gail Henderson
• PERU 401- Marco Aleman
• HIV/STD/Infectious Disease UNC/Malawi program
  (summer 1st year) Irving Hoffman

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Examples of what electives students have done
recently

• Set elective with Himalayan Health Exchange in
  India
• Set electives with InterHealth in Mexico and
  Ecuador and with CFHI in Mexico
• IFMSA research electives in Prague, Czech
  Republic
• Infectious Disease elective with UNC/Malawi
  program
• Independent electives with Family Health
  Ministries in Haiti and Shoulder to Shoulder in
  Honduras
• Independent elective with Hospitalito de Atitlan
  in Guatemala
• Group trip with Honduran Health Alliance
• Medical Spanish and Latina health elective at
  various schools in Costa Rica, Honduras and
  Guatemala
• Travel medicine elective in Pakistan with Global
  Medicine Rescue Services
• Fogarty fellowship (year long) in South Africa

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A little advice.

• Keep a diagnostic log
• Take time to make friends and learn from others
• Dont make promises you cant keep
• Take care of yourself get reliable travel
  health information, finish your vaccines and
  prophylactic meds and get medical care if you
  have unusual symptoms after returning.
• Allow yourself re-entry time to process and
  reflect
• Remember, you dont have to cross an ocean to be
  involved in global health

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Questions, comments???