Global Health Elective

UC medical students who enroll in the Global Health Care (060138) course enroll in a four-week elective. This fulfills an ICE requirement. Two of the four weeks are spent in Guatemala, and the other two weeks are spent completing online and in-person coursework in the discipline of global health. The objectives of the coursework are: to prepare students to manage common field clinic complaints, to give students an overview of the discipline of global and underserved health, and to prepare students to work in a cross-cultural environment.

The Global Health Course is open to residents, medical students and other health professional students.

Course Directors: Christy O’Dea, MD, Joe Kiesler, MD, Doug Collins, MD, Chris Lewis, MD

Contact:

• Medical Students should contact: Nancy Jamison (nancy.jamison@uc.edu)
• Residents and other health professionals should contact: Christy O’Dea, MD (christine.odea@uc.edu)
• Interested faculty should contact: Christy O’Dea, MD (christine.odea@uc.edu)

Guatemala Field Experience

Field Experience Dates: July 9-23, 2022

Field Experience Dates: September 3-17, 2022

Field Experience Dates: October 22-November 5, 2022

Field Experience Dates: February 11-25, 2023

Field Experience Dates: April 8-22, 2023

Description: The Guatemala experience is set in the Western highlands of Guatemala, and the Boca Costa region of Guatemala, in association with Wuqu Kawoq, a non-governmental organization committed to facilitating excellence and linguistic competence in medical care delivery in indigenous Guatemala. During the field experience, learners will work with US faculty and Maya Health Alliance staff in setting up field clinics to provide primary health care, and provide training sessions for nurses, health promoters and other staff. Nightly conferences are held to discuss the day's work and patients.

Accommodations: Team participants will be staying in basic hotel accommodations (2-4 participants per room).

Team size Limit: The team is limited to 14 participants (limit of 2-4 UC medical students)

Cost: Final cost is approximately $2775 (Christ/UC students) $2975 (non-Christ/UC students). Cost includes flight, travel insurance, and all in-country expenses including room, board and transportation. It does not include weekend meals, passport fees, or pre-travel immunizations.  For UC students, once you have completed the trip application through UC International, and been accepted into the course, your trip fee will post to your student account.  UC International does offer block grants to students on this field experience; the course directors will apply for this grant and inform the students if there is an award.  In the past, UC students have received $500 from UC International to defray costs related to travel.

Organization:

Tanzania Field Experience

Course Dates/Field Experience Dates: Contact Dr. Chris Lewis for dates at  lewisct@ucmail.uc.edu

Description: This opportunity is for medical students who are interested in a longer field experience. Students are based in rural Shirati Region, Rorya District, Tanzania, East Africa and will have the opportunity to work in Village Life's three partner villages- Roche, Nyambogo, and Burere.  Participants will work in an outpatient clinic in Shirati, as well as Village Life's clinic in Roche, and the major regional hospital in Shirati. In addition to this, students will work on public health research projects and can get involved with our water and education projects.

Students travel with a larger Village Life Brigade for the first two weeks. A local American doctor with extensive experience in the region will supervise students for the entire field experience. Faculty with experience in global health are also available remotely for additional student support.

Accommodations: Brigade members stay in a dorm type of housing provided by Village Life's sister organization, the Shirati Health, Education, and Development Foundation (SHED.) All food is prepared especially for the students by trained Tanzanian cooks.

Brigade Limit: The Brigade is limited to 28 participants (limit of 4 UC medical students)

Organization: The brigade works with the organization, Village Life Outreach Project. For more information on this organization, please see their website, www.villagelifeoutreach.orgThis link opens in a new window..

Cost: The cost for the experience is approximately $5,500, which includes airfare, ground transportation, room and board, visas, and safari fees for the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

Residency Rotation Opportunities
Dates: On-going

Description: Village Life offers residents an opportunity to spend a month working with our Tanzanian nurses and clinical officer to staff our outpatient clinic, Roche Health Center (RHC). Roche, a Village Life partner village, is a small, rural village in the Rorya District of Tanzania. Residents will also experience mobile field clinic work in Village Life's other two partner villages- Nyambogo and Burere. A local American doctor with extensive experience in the region, along with the Tanzanian staff at RHC, will support residents during their rotation. Faculty with experience in global health will also be available remotely for additional support.

Limit 2 residents for each rotation.

Accommodations: Residents will live on-sight at Roche Health Center. The housing facility has two bedrooms, running water, and electricity. All meals are provided by trained Tanzanian cooks.