Didactic Course

The Office of Global Health currently offers one on-campus enrichment elective.

ENHR 106 – Introduction to Global Health

This introductory course is designed to help students:

• Understand the core principles of global health
• Explore how economic, social, political, and cultural factors affect health outcomes around the world
• Identify the key actors/stakeholders in global health
• Examine some of the most critical global health issues facing the world today including humanitarian emergencies and refugee health
• Identify challenges associated with local/global efforts on strategies to prevent and control global health issues
• Learn the foundations of research and the ethics in global health
• Learn about health care systems in low and middle income nations
• Discuss neglected tropical and non-communicable diseases globally
• Understand the roles of other health care professionals and the need to collaborate in caring for individual patients and populations at-large
• Classify demographic indicators of health and disease among diverse populations by understanding the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals (MDGs and SDGs)
• Learn about potential career options in global health.

M.D. with Distinction in Global Health

The M.D. with Distinction in Global Health provides students with the opportunity to conduct global health research and gain clinical experience in international settings during their medical school training. There are three ways to complete the Distinction: the integrated track, the independent track, and the IMEP program. All three are designed to promote a progressive approach toward education and research, and encourage critical thinking skills that are focused on addressing obstacles in global health.

The M.D. with Distinction in Global Health is awarded to students who are committed to high-quality research and delivery of medical care through:

• Producing novel data in the clinical sciences through therapeutic, developmental, and health services research.
• Building local, regional, national, and global collaborations in education, research, and health care to improve health outcomes and promote health equity.
• Learning cultural humility while developing their expertise in caring for patients in diverse health care settings.

Individuals satisfying the program requirements will be recognized at graduation and on their diploma as graduating with a degree in Medicine, with distinction in Global Health.

Pre-Clinical Elective

ENRH 120 – International Service Learning in Global Health

This course is designed to help students:

• Perform clinical observerships and provide pre-clinical support
• Advance knowledge of global health issues, ethics, professionalism, and cultural competency through clinical and/or service learning experiences
• Critically examine approaches to community and public health
• Explore the global burden of disease and identify social determinants of health while in a low-resource setting
• Understand the crucial relationships between demography, epidemiology, development, and innovation within global health.

Senior Clinical Electives

These courses are designed to help students:

• Apply clinical knowledge and skills to address critical health care issues in a low-resource, international health care setting emphasizing an ethical and culturally competent approach
• Gain insight into health care disparities and the social determinants of health
• Broaden clinical exposure and experience in the evaluation/management of diseases endemic in developing countries and rarely encountered in the United States.

Students can choose from the following options:

• Bangalore Baptist Hospital:
• MED 2101 – General Medicine in a Developing Nation – Bangalore, India
• OBG 2108 – Ob/Gyn in a Developing Nation – Bangalore, India
• PED 2113 – Pediatrics in a Developing Nation – Bangalore, India
• SUR 2108 – General Surgery in a Developing Nation – Bangalore, India

• Medanta Medicity Hospital:
• MED 2103 – General Medicine in a Developing Nation – Gurgaon, India
• SUR 2109 – General Surgery in a Developing Nation – Gurgaon, India

• All other locations:
• GLBH 2101 – International Health Elective

The following are the required steps for students interested in pursuing a senior clinical elective abroad, for locations other than the established India sites:

• Determine the travel location and the institution of interest for completing the clinical rotation.
• Communicate with the institution of interest and receive written confirmation for acceptance to complete a clinical student rotation.
• Request the on-site institution’s course description for the clinical rotation of interest to evaluate equivalency with the UT Southwestern course description.
• Complete the UTSW Off-Campus Approval Form.
• Identify an on-site preceptor at the host institution and request the preceptor’s curriculum vitae/resume.
• Complete the Preceptor form.
• Complete the application for Global Health Student Opportunities in REDCap. This includes submitting all required forms.

For more information about the course requirements for each of the above mentioned courses and the application process, please contact the Office of Global Health. global.health@utsouthwestern.edu

Research Courses

The Office of Global Health strongly encourages medical students to explore their research interests through our programs. Many students have had life-changing experiences and returned with a wealth of knowledge that continues to serve them as they grow in their respective fields. Our programs are rigorous and require preparation and high-quality deliverables upon completion of the course. There are currently two ways to conduct global health research at UT Southwestern:

ENRH 134 – Global Health Summer Research Elective

This course is designed to help students:

• Develop critical thinking, analytical, and problem solving skills, necessary for dealing with the global health challenges encountered in-country
• Gain experience in conducting a research study from formulating the research question to presenting the results
• Learn how to ethically administer a research study in a different country by getting approval for their research proposal from UT Southwestern IRB and, if applicable, an in-country ethics committee
• Understand the validity, limitations, and appropriate use of patient records and local health reports in the design of laboratory-based or clinical research experiences in a global health setting
• Gain insights into the study site’s health system, services, and outcomes through systematic approaches, such as utilizing surveys and analyzing existing records, among other types of study design.

SCH 1705 – Scholarly Activity in Global Health

This course is designed to help students:

• Learn how to formulate a global health research topic, design a feasible study, implement the study, analyze data, and write a scholarly manuscript with the mentorship of faculty
• Experience how to conduct a global health research project from idea conceptualization to writing the manuscript
• Demonstrate an understanding of the conceptual, methodological, and empirical basis for quantifying health outcomes among individuals and populations across the globe
• Apply medical knowledge to critical clinical and public health issues in an ethical and culturally competent manner.

For more information about the course requirements and application process, please contact the Office of Global Health. global.health@utsouthwestern.edu