Student Feedback

"This is a good example of how great the need is - and how to do a lot of things with a little money."

"It was truly amazing to see how much quality medical care is provided by the nurses in these villages after taking into account what they start with - basically nothing."

"The physicians at these clinics work hard to see a staggering number of patients each day and they do all the paperwork and filling out of forms as well."

"People came from all over India to be seen for nephritic syndromes... I learned a ton. The treatment options are grim for those (most) who can't afford medicines, dialysis or transplants. For one child who needed daily dialysis or a transplant (10 to 40 times the father's salary) the doctor gently helped the parents understand that only God understood why it happened and that they should focus on their other children rather than hurt them too by focusing on this one sick child for whom there was little hope. Although it was so disheartening, I learned much from Dr. Agarwal."

MEDI 7003

Global Health Links
Safety Travel Alerts Travel Warnings International SOS Overview SOS Information Sheet

The Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics provides fourth-year students with an opportunity to travel abroad for a four-credit elective in international medicine. MEDI 7003 is a vehicle for global health experiences in resource-poor settings and to gain insight about different health care systems around the world.

UTHSCSA-specific sites include

Clinica Familiar Luis Angel Garcia, a HIV/AIDS Clinic in Guatemala City affiliated with the public hospital San Juan de Dios, Guatemala
A rural rotation affiliated with the Universidad Fransisco Marroquin, Guatemala
An ambulatory site affiliated with the Universidad Rafael Landivar, Guatemala

Students also travel to China, Greece, India and Peru. Students with any international medicine opportunity in mind should contact Dr. Ruth Berggren to see if they are eligible to receive credit for MEDI 7003. All travel plans are subject to revision by the University of Texas in accordance with State Department Travel Warnings.

The Center also supports a scholarship program for students to travel to the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India. This is a competitive program, and more information on this program can be found here.