International Medicine - INTD 7003

Students work with the course director to identify an appropriate international elective site, those with which faculty sponsors have pre-established connections or that the students discover on their own. All rotations will adhere to a community service-learning model, that is, a structured educational experience combining community service with preparation and reflection. We strive to shape the learning experience around community-identified needs and advance insight related to the context in which service is provided, the connection between service and academic coursework, and students' roles as citizens and professionals.

Students spend up to four weeks living at an international service site participating in patient care under the supervision of qualified health care providers. There may be opportunities for patient education and emphasis on efforts of local empowerment, aiming to build up the communities in a sustainable way. Students are encouraged to integrate themselves into the health care delivery system, to explore community needs that they could address, and when possible, to strive to make an impact through community education and home visits. Recommended prerequisite: INTD 4030: Preparing for Global Health Work.

Learning Objectives:

To advance knowledge of global health issues through clinical and/or community service in the following ways:

1. Provide medical service and compassionate care to individuals with limited access
2. Broaden clinical skills with respect to the practice of primary care medicine in a resource-poor setting
   • Appreciate the art of history taking and physical examination for bedside diagnosis, when adjunctive means of testing are limited
   • Gain experience in the evaluation/ management of common issues in tropical medicine including fever, diarrhea, respiratory disease, dehydration, and dermatological conditions
   • Approach the management of chronic medical problems – diabetes, hypertension – from the perspective of a resource limited setting
3. Strive to address community-identified needs
4. To gain insight into health care disparities and the social determinants of health
5. To increase cultural competency
6. To engage in self-reflection as a physician, contemplating the roles of health care providers and health care systems both at home and abroad

Requirements:

1. Reflection essay
2. Patient log
3. Extended History and Physical
4. Site evaluation
5. Mentor evaluation