INTD 7003: International Medicine

Course Directors

Jason Rosenfeld, DPH, MPH

Course Description

Students will work with the Course Director to identify an appropriate international elective site, with which faculty sponsors have pre-established connections or that the students discover on their own.  All rotations will adhere to a community engaged-learning model, that is, a structured educational experience combining community service with preparation and reflection.1 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 your roles as citizens and professionals.

Students will spend up to four (4) weeks living at an international service site and 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. Reflection essays serve as a way to process your experiences, including clinical cases, new perspectives gained, analysis of health care disparities, and strategies for the overcoming poverty-related health problems. Students are encouraged to share their experiences upon return through a formal presentation

Course Objectives

To advance knowledge of global health issues through clinical, public health, research, and/or community service experiences, specifically:

  • Provide medical service and compassionate care to individuals with limited access.
  • 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.
  • Enhance public health skills by assisting with the implementation and/or evaluation of preventative health education initiatives.
  • Conduct public health and/or clinical research.
  • Strive to address community-identified needs.

To gain insight into health care disparities and the non-medical drivers of health.

To increase cultural competency.

To engage in self-reflection as a physician, contemplating the roles of health care providers and health care systems both at home and abroad.

Course Requirements:

All Students

  • Reflection Essay:  including a description of the setting in which health care was provided, a discussion of the types of patients and medical problems seen, internal processing of public health experiences, and personal insights.  See “Global Health Reflection Essay Recommendations” below
  • Preceptor Evaluation:  students should provide this form to their preceptor to complete at the conclusion of the rotation (available on the CMHE website Resources)
  • Student Evaluation:  students will evaluate their international site; future students will use these evaluations in reviewing the site for future global health trips: Microsoft Office survey
  • Oral Presentation (Optional):  Take part in the Global Health in Action: Notes from the Field presentation series; opportunity to share your work and experience with the wider UTHSA community.  Contact Iris at masti@uthscsa.edu if interested.

Clinical Students

  • Patient Log: chronicles the patients and diseases seen with dates during the clinical rotation.
  • Extended History & Physical: of one patient with expanded discussion of a tropical illness seen or a familiar disease and how it is managed differently in a resource-limited setting.
  • Minimum of 2 scholarly references required.

Non-Clinical Students

  • Trip Report (Research or Project): depending upon the specific project/site, a trip or research report must be written and submitted. The format of this report is to be discussed and agreed upon with CMHE faculty or staff prior to departure.

If you are interested in this course, please contact Iris Mast at masti@uthscsa.edu or globalhealth@uthscsa.edu.