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Global Health Opportunities for Students

Please note that the Office of Global Health Programs should be your first stop for information on any of the supported programs described below.  If you expect to have an international experience related to your medical studies, be sure to complete a Global Health Experience Planning Form by February 1 of the calendar year during which your travel will begin.

Developing Countries

Industrialized Nations

Varied Locations

 

 

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Multi-Nation Opportunities

Developing Countries: Clinical Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB)
Penn medical students have an opportunity for a clinical epidemiology experience in an international setting by making arrangements to study with faculty from one of 64 Clinical Epidemiology Units (CEU) in Africa, Southeast Asia, India, and South America. These CEUs are affiliated with the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Penn, through the International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN). Working with faculty members at Penn and at the international site as joint preceptors, students join the host institution’s seminars and conferences, work through guided readings, attend selected meetings with their host institution preceptor, and work for a limited time on one of the ongoing research projects being conducted during training experience.

INCLEN was created in 1980 as a project of The Rockefeller Foundation, by a group of health specialists who became concerned about the widening gap between public health and clinical medicine; growing government expenditures on sophisticated services that were not very cost-effective; and the limited availability of good scientific evidence to guide clinical decision making. INCLEN’s mission, formulated in 1980, was to train faculty at medical schools in developing nations to think more broadly about the determinants of health, in order both to better understand the impact of disease on people and to improve the health status of local populations. One of the training centers identified by the Rockefeller Foundation was the Clinical Epidemiology Unit at Penn, which since has become the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. INCLEN’s first phase provided training to faculty at 26 selected developing-country institutions and led to the formation of CEUs at these sites.

As these CEUs matured, INCLEN began to shift its focus from infrastructure development to support of important, collaborative research. INCLEN cultivated research excellence through a continuing education and capacity-strengthening program that included short courses, site visits and one-on-one mentoring. With seed grants, INCLEN supported faculty members in the development of original epidemiological studies.

Concurrently, INCLEN moved into its second phase of training, during which the first generation CEUs providing training to additional CEUs. Sixty-four CEUs function now in twenty-six countries throughout Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia (India), and South America. The multi-disciplinary faculty includes clinical epidemiologists, health social scientists, biostatisticians, and clinical economists, each of whom believes that fighting disease in an age of limited financial resources depends on integrating the principles of clinical epidemiology into his or her own practice.

Multiple Locations: World Health Organization (WHO):    (Not available in 2007)
Not currently available:  Penn has established a relationship with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Policy Office at the United Nations in New York City. Students interested in health policy experiences in New York City or at international WHO sites should send an email to Global Health Programs indicating their specific interests and attaching a resume. We can then explore the possibility of setting up an interview in New York City.  (Not available in 2007)

Africa Opportunities

Botswana: Division of Infectious Diseases
Botswana Public Awareness AdBotswana ICUBotswana has the world’s highest known prevalence of HIV infection, (~38% of adults). Botswana is also one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of dealing with the HIV epidemic. Since 2001, the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine and Division of Infectious Diseases has been working with Botswana’s Ministry of Health (MOH) to aid in the inpatient and outpatient care of patients with HIV/AIDS in the capital city of Gaborone. Penn infectious disease clinicians have worked with the MOH and other universities to design a National ARV (antiretroviral)Treatment Program called Masa (Setswana for “new dawn" -- N.B. English is the official language of Botswana but Setswana is the indigenous
language) that provides ARV therapy free of charge to all citizens of Botswana with HIV/AIDS. In addition to this outpatient activity, Penn providers formed an inpatient adult medical team that admits and cares for patients in the Princess Marina Hospital (PMH), the main referral hospital of Botswana. Medical students going to Botswana for any of the projects described on this webpage may find the Penn Infectious Diseases regularly-updated handbook helpful in preparing for all aspects of their stay. In addition each student will be given a guide to Princess Marina Hospital on arrival.  A similar booklet is being developed for Francistown.

 

Botswana: Princess Marina Hospital Inpatient Sub-Internship
Princess Marina HospitalThe Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine at Penn has organized a service (firm) in the Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone. This is an inpatient sub-internship. Daily rounds are made in the hospital with a team led by a Penn faculty member and consisting of Penn students, Penn residents and counterparts from Princess Marina. A wide breadth of medical problems is managed including tuberculosis in many forms, meningitis, cryptococcal disease, congestive heart failure, rheumatic valvular heart disease, renal failure, DKA, uncontrolled hypertension, snake bite, hematologic and solid organ malignancies, and many manifestations of HIV disease. You will become proficient in the art of physical diagnosis and in a number of procedures including lumbar puncture, phlebotomy, IV catheter insertion, thorocentesis, paracentesis, and lymph node fine needle aspiration. Housing is provided. Weekends are free, allowing ample time to see the remarkable sites in that part of the world. Pre-requisite is a Penn sub-internship in medicine or pediatrics or a Penn externship. Minimum stay is six weeks. Please contact Dr. Gluckman to apply.

Botswana: Hospice/Outreach   (not currently available)Hospice Event
From 2004 through 2006, each summer before second year, three Penn first year students had the opportunity to build upon a program initiated by Penn medical students in 2003. This program involved working with Holy Cross Hospice in Gaborone, Botswana.  Hospice clients were those infected as well as affected by HIV/AIDS and cancer, and orphans of former clients.  The hospice provided day care, including meals, activities, spiritual and other support, as well as home based nursing care and social work services.  Students worked with the leaders of the hospice on self-designed projects that were of benefit to the hospice and of interest to the students.  Projects included a needs assessment for the hospice, coordination of programs between the hospice and other community facilities, and special events planning.  Due to administrative changes at the Hospice, this opportunity is not currently available.      

Botswana, Harvard AIDS Institute
The Harvard AIDS Institute (HAI) is located next to the Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. The Penn clinical service is located in the PMH. The HAI occupies a purpose built building equipped with facilities for AIDS research,with both laboratory and office space. The HAI was established about 10 years ago and is dedicated to clinical research on HIV/AIDS. Current studies include a trial of different simpler regimens for ART (antiretroviral therapy) and regimens to prevent transmission from HIV-infected breast feeding mothers to their babies. HAI will accept Penn students who would be assigned to join in on one of their ongoing research projects. Assignments could be in the laboratory, in trial design and data analysis, or to field sites where trials are being conducted. HAI requires that students commit to a period of 3 months in order to have a meaningful experience, and will only take students who are in their third or fourth year of medical school. Interested students should apply to Global Health Programs; selected candidates will be put in touch with personnel at HAI to negotiate specific assignments. Penn students will, if possible, be accommodated in the Penn apartments in Gaborone operated by the Penn Division of Infectious Diseases.

Botswana: BOTUSA Project Medical Student Fellowship -- MS3/4
The BOTUSA Project is a collaborative effort between the Botswana Ministry of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (CDC\DTBE), and the Global AIDS Program (GAP). The principal goal of the BOTUSA Project is to expand knowledge of the relationship between epidemic tuberculosis (TB) and epidemic HIV disease in a resource-poor country setting so that this information can be used to develop prevention strategies for the local and global control of TB. BOTUSA staff work closely with counterparts in the Botswana National TB Programme and AIDS Control Programme.  TB is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Each year, there are an estimated 8.4 million cases and up to 2 million deaths. Among people living in sub-Saharan African countries, there has been a 20% increase in the incidence of TB largely as a result of the HIV epidemic. In Botswana, the annual incidence of TB is approximately 620/100,000 population (the second highest rate in the world), and the seroprevalence of HIV is 35% among 15-49 year-olds. Approximately 75% of TB patients in Botswana are HIV-infected.

The objective of the BOTUSA Project medical student fellowship is to provide fourth-year students with the opportunity to participate in CDC research in Botswana, as well as to gain experience with clinical medicine and culture in the setting of a developing country. Each student takes ownership of a project and in most circumstances experiences all phases of research -- hypothesis generation, protocol development, research logistics, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and scientific writing and presentation.

Ghana:  Adakum Educational Foundation
The Adakum Educational Foundation (www.admef.org) is a New York-based 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to providing basic educational opportunities and health care for poor and disadvantaged children and their parents in Ghana and other parts of Africa.  The Adakum Educational Foundation (AEF) would welcome Penn medical students interested in volunteering to work in Accra in a school clinic and in the community under the supervision of the school volunteer doctor.  Currently, AEF support goes to a number of programs, including:

Volunteer Opportunities:  There are opportunities for Penn students to participate in a wide variety of activities, including:

Accommodations:  shared (2 people) rooms, including three meals/day, are available at a daily rate of $25

More information and Application:  Contact Nancy Biller, Global Health Programs

 

Ghana:  General Information

We are making available an online copy of No Worries!  The Indispensable Insiders' Guide to Ghana.  It is not protected by copyright.  You can review it online now – it is more than 200 pages so you probably should not print it in its entirety – and you may wish to purchase one when you are in Ghana.  In addition, you may be interested in purchasing the Lonely Planet Guide to West Africa which covers Ghana. 

Ghana: Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi
KCCR is a newly built institute located on the grounds of the KNUST, with modern facilities including cafeteria and dormitory. The KCCR is a joint effort of the KNUST and the Bernard Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine in Hamburg (the Bernard Nocht Institute is a famous long established center for the study of tropical diseases). The KCCR occupies new facilities that were donated by the Volkswagen Foundation. The programs are supported by peer reviewed grants and are focused on infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, other parasitic diseases, and Buruli ulcer. KCCR offers a variety of fascinating projects for participation by Penn students, particularly those interested in tropical medicine.  To be considered, students must be prepared to commit a minimum of six weeks to an ongoing research project at KCCR.  Interested students should apply to Global Health Programs and selected candidates will be put in contact with the director of the KCCR to negotiate specific assignments. Support for housing and other arrangements will be provided by the staff of the Sickle Cell Center which has its major clinical activities at the major hospital in Kumasi. 

Ghana: Noguchi Memorial Institute, University of Ghana, Accra
The Noguchi Memorial Institute was founded in 1979 by a donation from the Japanese government, and houses a variety of programs of biomedical research, including studies of HIV/AIDS, poliomyelitis, and yellow fever. The Institute will accept students who are prepared to commit a minimum of six weeks to an ongoing project in one of their laboratories.   The institute is on the campus of the University of Ghana (the leading university in Ghana) and students would likely be housed in the international dormitory. The administrative and laboratory staff of the Sickle Cell Project are located at the Institute and would aid Penn students to make arrangements for housing and other living accommodations. Interested students should apply to Global Health Programs; selected candidates will be put in touch with personnel at the Noguchi Institute to negotiate specific assignments.

Ghana: Sickle-Cell Anemia Project
Dr. Kwaku Ohene-Frempong, Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Sickle Cell Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is also the Director of the Sickle Cell Research Program housed in the Noguchi Memorial Institute of the University of Ghana in Accra. The Institute was established in 1979 in a building funded by the government of Japan to serve as a memorial for Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, a Japanese medical scientist who died in Accra in May, 1928 while investigating yellow fever. The Institute trains graduate students in research and is a medical research center with specialized laboratories and services focused on Ghana’s needs. It facilitates medical cooperation between Ghanaian and Japanese scientists. The current director of the institute, Dr. David Ofori-Agyei, is extremely supportive of hosting Penn’s medical students.

Penn students can work in the hematology lab in Accra or at the  Sickle Cell Center housed at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi where outreach, screening of newborns, treatment, and data collection are performed. Local coordinators (Tina Ayeh in Accra and Robert Twene in Kumasi) provide oversight. Dr. Ohene-Frempong has regular contact with Ghanaian coordinators and visits the sites periodically.

In Accra, there are three hostels available on the campus of the University of Ghana. In Kumasi, students can stay at the graduate/medical students hostel on the hospital campus or they can be housed in reasonably priced hotels situated close to the hospital.

Applications to participate in Dr. Ohene-Frempong’s research efforts should be sent to Global Health Programs, which will coordinate the review and selection of students by Dr. Ohene-Frempong and staff.

Malawi:  University of Pennsylvania Population Studies Center
Penn's Population Studies Center has an ongoing panel study in Malawi that began in 1998. The project’s general aims are to examine the role of social networks in changing attitudes and behavior regarding family size, family planning, religion, and HIV/AIDS in Malawi. The project focuses on two key empirical questions: the roles of social interactions in (1) the acceptance (or rejection) of modern contraceptive methods and of smaller ideal family size; and (2) the diffusion of knowledge of AIDS symptoms and transmission mechanisms and the evaluation of acceptable strategies of protection against AIDS.  Data collected at the household level include: husband/wife surveys, adolescent surveys, verbal and migration autopsies, qualitative interviews, biomarkers (HIV/STIs), GPS/GIS, and ethnographies.  In 2006 we will collect anthropometric measurements (BMI) to examine the consequences of morbidity and mortality on household coping mechanisms.  In 2005 the project began a new study on how religious organizations have the potential to be either partners in or obstacles to combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  This study will continue in 2006.  More information can be found at the Malawi Project website. 

Between mid-May and mid-August of 2006, opportunities will be available for a few Penn medical students interested in social science research and data collection. The role of each medical student will be determined by his or her research interest and preceptor expertise. Students will have the opportunity to assist in the implementation and management of research as well as focus on their own research goals.  Conference presentations and journal publications are strongly encouraged and supported by the team. Preference is give to students who can make a 10 to 12-week commitment.  Some exceptions may be made for first-year students willing to spend a full 8 weeks on the project.  Though students will interact with local clinics and Ministry of Health officials on a regular basis, full-time clinical work is not available. Students will live with the research team in three rural areas.  The research team will consist of social science professors from Penn, UCLA, UT-Austin, and Hebrew University, along with several PhD students in demography, sociology, and economics programs from various programs worldwide, and a Malawian field staff of up to 90 individuals.

Lena Mathews 2006

 

South Africa: Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)
CAPRISA is an AIDS research center that is located at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, in Durban, South Africa. It was founded by the Universities of Natal, Cape Town, and the Western Cape, the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. CAPRISA is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The three main goals of CAPRISA are the research, prevention, and treatment of HIV/AIDS, building research infrastructure and capacity, and training more researchers in South Africa.

CAPRISA's director is Dr. Salim Karim, an internationally known AIDS researcher at the University of Kwazulu-Natal. Dr. Karim has offered to consider selected Penn medical students who wish to dedicate 6-12 months to a research project on AIDS, to be conducted in South Africa under the direction of one of the CAPRISA participating investigators. This is an exciting opportunity, probably unique in the world, since it combines outstanding research supervision with an exposure to a country with one of the highest prevalences of HIV/AIDS in the world.

Sub-Saharan Africa:  Seminar & Funded Research 2008  (Application Deadline November 27, 2007)
Multiple opportunities exist in Subsaharan Africa for medical students who participate in the research seminar, Medicine in Africa.  The preparatory seminar is taught by Penn faculty with research projects in Africa, drawn from many schools, including SOM and SAS.  It is coordinated by Professor Steven Feierman of the Department of History & Sociology of Science.  Topics covered in the seminar include: a) the social and cultural context of disease and medicine in Africa, b) epidemiological and demographic issues, c) problems in infectious disease, d) disease and child health, e) models of participatory research, and f) research ethics in cross-cultural settings.  The seminar will meet from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Wednesdays, from January to April 2008.  Research in Africa is to be undertaken at a time convenient to the student, after the completion of the seminar.

Tanzania:  Teule Hospital Muheza        Mothers & Children @ HIV Clinic
Teule Hospital is an Anglican Church Hospital, designated by the government as the District Hospital for Muheza district.   Muheza is a small district town in northeastern Tanzania, 40 kms inland from the port of Tanga and about 100 kms south of the Kenyan border.  It lies at the foot of the East Usambara mountains on the edge of the coastal plain.  The climate is HOT and STICKY, especially between December and March.  Long rains usually come between March and May and short ones in October and November but yearly variations are ever present.  From June to September it can get a bit cool – one may even need a sweater, but not often.  About 60% of the population are Muslims and 40% Christian. The hospital functions in English (notes written in English) and all qualified staff can speak it, although most communication is in Kiswahili, the main language in the country.  Very few patients speak English; most speak at least one of many local languages, in addition to Kiswahili.  Muheza lies on the main tar road from Dar es Salaam to Tanga and therefore enjoys a reasonable bus service which takes 4-5 hours.  You can also arrive by bus from Moshi / Arusha (6-7 hours) or by plane from Dar / Zanzibar to Tanga. Operating Theatre

Mother & Baby with Dr. Sally Edmonds in SBCU (Special Care Baby Unit for Sick or Premature Babies Born in Hospital)

The hospital has 330 beds and usually has many more patients than those beds can accommodate.  The population served is about 280,000 in a 5000 square kilometer area.  It provides primary health care for the town and acts as a referral center for the 46 outlying village dispensaries and five health centers. A large number of patients attend daily in the adult and maternal and child health clinics. 

There are doctor-led clinics in medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, palliative care, and pediatrics.  There is also an HIV / palliative care center which now has access to free anti-retrovirals (via one of the American programs). There is an X-ray department and an  ultrasound machine.  The pathology laboratory performs microscopy, hematology, some biochemistry, bacterial cultures and CD4 counts. There are dental, eye and physio services. There is always a shortage of equipment, drugs and dressings, although not as bad as at some other hospitals in Tanzania thanks to support from the UK.  Volunteer medical students should bring goggles for eye protection, as even watching invasive procedures risks eye splashes.  Gloves are available. There is chloroquine–resistant falciparum malaria.  Mefloquine, doxycycline or malarone are recommended.  Insect repellent is advised, as are bed nets (supplied).  Students should obtain advice for PEP and arrive with a supply of antiretrovirals.  Students who have needle stick injuries must contact the physicians in charge right away.  They will receive counseling and should have an HIV test. Yellow fever certificate is mandatory, as is the usual vaccination for tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis A+B etc.  Rabies is endemic but uncommon.

Penn third/fourth year medical students who will have completed their Penn Sub-I before traveling, may apply for a 4-6 week clinical experience at Teule Hospital.  Students are permitted to make their own plan to participate in services that include physician-led clinics (surgery, OB/GYN, medicine, diabetes, and HIV), the rare opportunity to "run" a ward (on your own with a nurse to help for the translation and there would always be someone to ask questions if you are not sure what to do).   Students may also catch babies on the labor ward or go out on the mobile to do clinic (child health and maternity) under a tree.  Finally, there is the Diana Centre for HIV and Palliative care (services include clinics, ward rounds and home visits.  Most students spend a week at the Diana centre and then spread themselves out doing a bit of everything.  Students are encouraged to do a project of some sort. 

Students will have the opportunity to see patients with many conditions.  HIV dominates with TB, PCP, cryptococcal, KS, etc.  Malaria on the pediatrics wards is a close second. Diabetes, heart disease, HT, COPD, hydroceles, hernias, cancer, meningitis, pneumonia , typhoid, cholera, rabies, tetanus, etc are all at Teule. 

For more detailed information on medical prophylaxis, travel, visas, accommodations, living expenses, dress code, travel tips, and more, please see the Teule Hospital Information Document. 

South & Southeast Asia Opportunities

India:  All India Institute of Medical Science
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a leading academic medical center in New Delhi that was created through an Act of Parliament in 1956 as an autonomous national institution.  AIIMS was established to develop patterns of teaching in undergraduate and post-graduate medical education that would set a high standard of medical education in India; to bring together in one place educational facilities of the highest order; and to attain self-sufficiency in post-graduate medical education.  The Institute has comprehensive facilities for teaching, research and patient care. AIIMS strives to make world class clinical care available to millions of underprivileged citizens of India and neighboring countires.  Its corridors are thronged by patients, most of them too poor to afford quality treatment elsewhere.  Teaching and research are conducted in 42 disciplines. In the field of medical research in India, AIIMS is a leader, with more than 600 research publications annually.

AIIMS is generally considered the leading academic medical center in India among 150 government operated medical schools.  AIIMS operates a 2,000 bed hospital and outpatient service (more than 3,000 daily visits) in an urban area, providing exposure to a wide variety of simple and complicated illnesses.  New Delhi is the capital of India and has many historic sites and numerous bazaars, restaurants, and cultural amenities.  International students are accomodated in medical student dormitories (enhancing contact with AIIMS medical students).  These are always available to female students and may be available to male students.  AIIMS is recommended for students interested in a wide exposure to diseases in a developing country in an outstanding tertiary care hospital.  A two month rotation is suggested.  Internal medicine, general surgery, obstetrics & gynaecology, pediatrics, otorhinolaryngology, and community medicine (rural posting near Delhi Village) are among the possibilities.  Basic departments like pathology and microbiology are also options.   AIIMS summer holidays are from mid May to mid July.  It is therefore not possible to participate during those two months.  The best period is between October and March, after the monsoon and before the heat of summer.  Interested students should contact Global Health Programs for consultation and initiation of the application process.

 

AVSAR:  Alliance of Volunteers for Service, Action & Reform

ragpicker in mumbai slum surrounded by landfillAVSAR is a US-based nonprofit organization offering structured volunteer and internship service opportunities in Mumbai, India.  AVSAR connects volunteers to grassroots nonprofit organizations working to provide healthcare and other services in the slums and underprivileged areas of Mumbai and Delhi (often with street children, child-laborers, sweatshop employees, etc.). The experience is structured, rewarding, and provides excellent support at minimal cost.  AVSAR recruits year-round.  There are opportunities in public health and medicine.  For more details and application materials, visit the AVSAR website.

 

 

India: Christian Medical College
Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India, known simply as "CMC," is one of the leading academic medical centers in India.   CMC began in 1900 as a one-bed clinic established by Dr. Ida Scudder, an American missionary. Two years later, in 1902, Dr. Scudder built a 40-bed hospital, the forerunner of today's 1700-bed medical center. In 1909, she started the School of Nursing, and in 1918, a medical school for women was opened. CMC occupies a prominent place among medical institutions in India (and in the world) as a 2,000-bed multi-campus complex that is a vital, diverse, inter-denominational community.

It is recommended that students pursue experiences in India between October and March, after the monsoon season and before the heat of summer.  Interested students should contact Global Health Programs.

Please direct inquiries to the Office of Global Health Programs.

Thailand:  Chulalongkorn University College of Public Health
Penn medical students may pursue public health/epidemiology internships at the Chulalongkorn University College of Public Health in Bangkok, Thailand.  There will be 1-2 internships per year.  Although not required, Thai language skills are helpful, especially for field research.  This is an ideal year-out or scholarly pursuit activity.  A minimum commitment of 3 months is required.  Please note that this opportunity was made available to PennMed students through the efforts of Jaime Moo Young, PennMed Year Out Student 2006-7.

 

Caribbean/Central America/South America Opportunities

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency with 100 years of experience in working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. It serves as the specialized organization for health of the Inter-American System. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization and enjoys international recognition as part of the United Nations system. PAHO offers unpaid summer internships to provide practical experience to emerging public health leaders.

Argentina: Universidad Austral Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas Deepa Kumaraiah Instructed by Austral Physician
This new clinical opportunity was established in the spring of 2005.  Each year, a maximum of two Penn third or fourth year medical students who have good Spanish language skills can pursue rotations in Austral's university hospital (academic tertiary care), in their affiliated primary and secondary care centers, or in a combination of environments.

Rotations usually last 1 or 2 months.  They begin on different dates each year due to adjustments to the Universidad Austral Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas academic year.

Although not guaranteed, clinical electives are typically available in:

Please apply six months in advance of your planned travel by submitting a 1-2 page statement in the form of a Microsoft Word document, and a CV or resume.  The two separate documents should be attached in a single email to the Office of Global Health Programs.  The statement should cover the following:

  1. Why you are interested in this opportunity
  2. Your Spanish language skills
  3. Dates when you would like to be in Argentina
  4. Ranking (#1 = most desirable to you) of clinical electives that interest you from the list above 

Belize: Hillside Healthcare Center
The Belize International Health Program represents a joint partnership between the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Toledo District of Belize community, and the Ministry of Health. Since 1994, this partnership has worked with local physicians, nurses, allied health care workers, and community representatives to address local health priorities facing the indigenous Mayans from the remote Toledo District (the poorest and least developed district of Belize). This program strives to encourage local self-sufficiency while addressing issues of maternal-child health, nutrition and primary health care. In 1994, with funding from Jericho Road Foundation International, a state-of-the-art medical clinic was established in Punta Gorda, in southern Belize. The Hillside Healthcare Clinic has three examination rooms, an office, and a pharmacy. Since 1999, more than 100 medical faculty from the US have staffed the clinic. Upper-level Penn medical students have participated in clinical and research activities at this site. Housing is provided in a modern dorm environment. For further information, please contact Dr. Steve Larson. Applications should be submitted to Global Health Programs.

Dominican Republic:  CHOP Alliance for International Medicine2 mth old with scabies in batey 2006
Beginning in 2004, a group of Dominican physicians and nurses, with the assistance of Medicines for Humanity, established a mobile clinic program to serve the bateyes surrounding the town of Consuelo in the Dominican Republic . The bateyes are shantytown communities, the majority of whose inhabitants work in sugar cane fields, cutting and transporting the cane from the fields to giant wagons which then go to factories for production of refined sugar. The sugar cane workers are largely of Haitian descent; some are recent arrivals and others may be second or third generation. As a group, they have little education and little or no access to routine medical care.

The mobile clinic travels to each batey twice a month. The clinic works with a health promoter from the batey who assists with organizing community residents and identifying people in need of services. The CHOP Alliance for International Medicine (AIM), headed by Dr. Rodney Finalle, AIM Director and Medical Director of the Primary Care Center at Cobbs Creek, sends an interdisciplinary pediatric team twice a year (early November, and late June) to provide much needed medical care to children of the bateyes. Conditions such as scabies and intestinal parasites, and malnutrition are routine. In addition, educational workshops are provided for the health promoters.

For additional information, please visit the CHOP~AIM website. You may also contact Dr. Finalle.

                Julie Linton MS3 Examines Child in Batey    Family Barracks in Batey

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guatemala: Behrhorst Partners for Development
The Behrhorst Foundation is a US-based, nonprofit organization committed to the health and social well-being of the rural, indigenous Mayans living in the highlands of central Guatemala. The Behrhorst Clinic, a modest 20-bed hospital and adjacent outpatient clinic, is located in the highland town of Chimaltenango, 60 km north of Guatemala City, along the Pan-American Highway. Funding and administration is maintained in the US through a formal Board of Directors. Community health leadership teams have been developed to tackle specific health care issues including malnutrition, sanitation, potable water, and maternal and child health. Direct observation and participation in the hospital/clinic is offered to Penn medical students. Supervision is maintained by Guatemalan physicians staffing the clinic. There are numerous medical residents and US-trained physicians who volunteer here as well. Rural visits with health promoters are possible and there are ample opportunities for students to participate in health brigades, sanitation and clean water projects, as well as a variety of nutrition and other programs designed to improve maternal-child well-being. Students are placed in secure housing and board is provided. For further information, please contact Dr. Steve Larson. Applications should be submitted to Global Health Programs.

Guatemala:  Hospitalito Atitlan
Under the auspices of Pueblo a Pueblo, a grassroots Guatemalan organization with US 501c3 status, efforts are underway to resurrect a hospital in the village of Santiago Atitlan.   Located on the scenic Lake Atitlan, the Hospitalito Santiago Atitlan was abandoned in the late '80s during the later years of Guatemala'S civil war.   The patient
population of this region is a mixture of the indigenous Mayan Tzutuhil as well as the Spanish-speaking Landino.  While Spanish is spoken by many of the city's inhabitants, in the surrounding villages, Tzutuhil remains the dominant language.   Located approximately ½ mile outside of the city proper, the hospital's physical plant is a compact, clean working space which includes a patient reception/triage room, a pharmacy, a 2-bed emergency bay, 2 clinical exam rooms, a dental office, and an operating room.  There is space allocated for radiology, but equipment is still lacking.  Current work is underway on an adjacent space that will be used for storage and inpatient care. The hospital is staffed by 3 U.S. physicians (2 Emergency Medicine; 1 Family Practice) and has the capacity to host 2-3 medical students at a time.  Nursing students are welcome and a new volunteer American nurse has arrived to oversee that aspect of patient care.  Possible activities for medical students range from health needs assessments and nutrition studies (MS1) to assisting physicians (MS3-4).  For more information, please contact Dr. Steve Larson.

atitlan landscapePhilip Lederer, Justin Schram & Interpretors 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 




Guatemala Health Initiative's health education videos in the Tz'utujil Maya language are used by Hospitalito Atitlán for patient education. Here, a newly diagnosed asthmatic from Santiago Atitlán learns how to use an asthma inahaler properly (2006)

For more information please visit the GHI website.

 

Guatemala:  Mayan Medical Relief
Mayan Medical Relief is a US-based 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by Craig Sinkinson, MD.  (Emergency Medicine).   Working out of the Puesto de Salud in the lakefront Caxquitel village of Santa Cruz, Dr Sinkinson has laid the foundation for an exciting program in global health that addresses not only the immediate health needs of the villagers, but focuses attention on the cultural and linguistic challenges this unique village represents. Santa Cruz has a population of 2000 people, with an additional 3000
living in the nearby villages/hamlets.  Few of the villagers speak Spanish; the majority of the population exists through subsistence farming; families survive on less than one US dollar per day.  Malnutrition is rampant throughout the village and one of Mayan Medical Relief's initial priorities has been to augment nutritional intake among the village's
pregnant women and young children through supplemental feeding programs. Sanitation, hygiene, and potable water are issues being addressed as well.  The medical clinic is housed in a modern facility, located centrally within the village.  On the first floor there is a clean waiting room/triage area, an emergency room with a single bed, 3 additional exam rooms, and a pharmacy.  Upstairs there is an administrative office, a conference room, a kitchen that oversees the nutrition program and several bathrooms as well as an on-call space.  In June, 2005, the radiology space was nearly complete.  When finished, it will offer both ultrasound and plain film evaluations.  The lab is currently being developed.  Eventual plans to expand a 3rd floor are underway.    An indigenous villager trained as a nurse is present during normal working hours and 24/7 for emergencies.  To support the clinic's mission, long-range goals include the development of a Medical Spanish program as well as CME.  Students can find housing locally or in nearby Panajachel.  Activities for medical students range from public health, water, sanitation, and nutrition studies (MS1) to assisting in clinical care (MS3-4).  For more information, please contact Dr. Steve Larson.

Guatemala:  Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro
Located in central Antigua and in operation since the '80s, Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro (OSHP) serves the poor through a variety of outreach programs.  First and foremost, OSHP is home to more than 250 mentally and physically impaired patients of all ages and gender, many of whom have been abandoned by their families.  It serves as a nutrition center for undernourished babies and children and functions as a food distribution center as well.  There is an outpatient clinic on the site as well as clinical facilities for opthalmology, general surgery, plastic surgery, ENT, and orthopedics.  While attending
language school in Antigua, students can volunteer on a part-time basis.  Students can also arrange full-time experiences, ranging from orderly-type duties for MS1 students to assisting physicians (MS3-4).  For more information, please contact Dr. Steve Larson. 

Guatemala:  San Lucas Toliman Mission:  Padre Gregorio
Located in the remote Atitlan village of San Lucas Toliman, Father Greg, or Padre Gregorio as he is affectionately known to the villagers, has created a wonderfully complete model for community health operating out of the San Lucas Mission.  With over 40 years of experience in the village of San Lucas Toliman providing spiritual care to its inhabitants and those residing in the 22 surrounding communities, Father Greg is a veritable encyclopedia of facts and history for the region.  He is at once an insightful, passionate, and visionary speaker whose words have reached out to the global community, serving as a beacon for the innumerable volunteer brigades that arrive to work on parish projects.  Under Father Greg's guidance there is a woman's center under construction, ongoing
housing, nutrition, education and sanitation programs, as well as a grass-roots fair trade coffee enterprise designed to provide the workers with the means to escape the extremes of poverty.  Health care is a priority and the parish maintains a clean, well-stocked facility near the center of town known as the Hospital Parroquial San Lucas.  At the Hospital Parroquial San Lucas there are 2 outpatient exam rooms, a 3 bed emergency room, a labor and delivery room, a large inpatient pediatric suite with nearly a dozen beds and a well-stocked pharmacy.  On the second floor there is an ophthalmologic exam room and a well-supplied dental suite with 3 dental exam chairs and x-ray capability.  The clinic is staffed full-time by a Guatemalan physician, Dr. Rafael Tan Ajpac, with nursing support.  It continuously hosts students, residents, visiting physicians and innumerable medical brigades from the United States.  Housing is easily arranged through the parish at minimal cost (the Parish suggests a voluntary donation left to your discretion). Well-prepared meals, taken communally, are provided to visiting workers/volunteers.  There are exciting opportunities for medical school volunteers to participate in projects ranging from reforestation, nutrition, sanitation, community education, and construction (MS1) to clinical assistance (MS3-4).  For more information, please contact Dr. Steve Larson. 

Honduras: Shoulder-to-Shoulder
Shoulder-to-Shoulder is a nonprofit nongovernmental organization dedicated to improving health outcomes in poor rural Honduran communities through primary health care, public health, dental care, nutrition, and education. Founded in 1993, it represents a partnership between the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine, the Ministry of Health of Honduras, and the Community Health Board of Santa Lucia. Shoulder-to-Shoulder maintains a state-of-the-art medical clinic in the remote (8-hour drive from the nearest paved road) rural western mountains of Honduras, adjacent to the border of El Salvador. Staffed by two Honduran physicians year-round and supported by volunteer physicians and students, since 1993 Shoulder-to-Shoulder has had the participation of 172 medical students, 117 residents, 134 faculty physicians, 30 nurses, and 15 dentists from various US medical schools. A large facility with beds, showers, and a kitchen can house up to 45 people working with Shoulder-to-Shoulder in Santa Lucia. Transportation is arranged through the administrative offices in the US and coordinated with teams in Honduras. For further information, please contact Dr. Steve Larson. Applications should be submitted to Global Health Programs.

Nicaragua: Acción Médica Cristiana
Founded in 1984, Acción Médica Cristiana (AMC) is recognized as one of the top ten nongovernmental organizations working in Nicaragua. An 8-week commitment and intermediate-level Spanish are required.  Please click here to open a .pdf document with a complete description:   Nicaragua AMC 2007. 

Peru: Clinical Obstetrics/Gynecology
This clinical opportunity in obstetrics and gynecology in Lima is for students who have at least a basic command of Spanish and an interest in global and women’s health. Preference will be given to students who have completed core clinical courses such as medicine and obstetrics/gynecology.

Lima, the capital city of Peru, is a vibrant, modern city, next to the ocean, with a growing population of over eight million people. The city represents a cosmos of different socio-economic and ethnic groups with a vast majority of poor people moving from the Andes to the capital in search of better conditions and living in the outskirts of the city. As a developing country, Peru faces significant maternal and neonatal morbidity rates, despite governmental efforts.

The Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos is the oldest university in South America, founded in the 1500s. It is a state school with multiple training sites for medical students and residents. Penn medical students can have international experiences in obstetrics and gynecology in two of its primary sites in Lima, the Hospital Materno-Infantil San Bartolome and the Instituto Nacional Materno-Perinatal. These primary sites for core courses in obstetrics and gynecology for Peruvian medical students offer lectures, exposure to outpatient clinics, and labor and delivery experience. Students can be active participants in the outpatient and inpatient setting.

These sites in Peru are overseen at Penn by Dr. Jack Ludmir, Professor and Chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pennsylvania Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Originally from Peru, Dr. Ludmir has been a faculty member at Harvard and Penn, and he is currently Honorary Professor in two medical schools in Peru. For the past fifteen years, he has been involved in mentoring Peruvian doctors and sending United States residents to Lima. He has close personal and professional contacts onsite who ensure that appropriate arrangements are made for room and board.

Oversight in Peru is provided by a number of Dr. Ludmir’s colleagues. At San Bartolome Hospital, these are Dr. Santiago Cabrera Ramos and Dr. Aurora Villar Chamorro. Dr. Cabrera is the General Director of the Hospital, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at San Marcos. He is Board-Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and is in constant contact with Pennsylvania Hospital, exchanging guidelines, protocols and residents. Dr. Villar is Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at San Marcos. She has tremendous experience teaching in outpatient and inpatient settings. She is a great clinician-educator for students and residents, and also has an active private practice. At the Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal, oversight is provided by Dr. Victor Bazul, Director of the hospital and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at San Marcos. Dr. Bazul has significant experience in guiding students, residents, and midwives.

If you have a serious interest in pursuing this opportunity, and meet the language and study requirements, please contact Dr. Jack Ludmir (jaludm@pahosp.com).

Peru:  ImpactaPeru
If you are a fluent Spanish speaker and interested in a public health research environment, you may be able to participate in a project in Peru, through Asociación Civil Impacta Salud y Educación, with the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) or the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN).  Please send your CV and a letter of interest to nbiller@mail.med.upenn.edu for consideration. 

Spanish Language Immersion/Public Health/ClinicalK McKeegan, MS1, w Family in Xela 2007 (Proyecto Linguistico)
There are many Spanish language programs throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and Latin America.  Those combining Spanish language instruction with exposure to local medical or public health programs may qualify for support by Global Health Programs.  The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) maintains an impressive list of programs, some of which may have funding opportunities.  Please select programs of interest from AMSA's website.  Once you are considering a few specific programs, if you would like additional information on program reputation, please contact, Dr. Steve Larson.

 

INDUSTRIALIZED/DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Asia Opportunities

China:  Jintan Child Health Project
Dr. Jianghong Liu is an Assistant Professor in Penn's School of Nursing.  Her research focuses on the early health risk factors in relation to childhood behavioral problems with an emphasis on aggressive behavior. Her research has three main features: an interdisciplinary public health approach; work in international settings, and the use of longitudinal methodology. Dr. Liu currently is the Principal Investigator of Jintan Child Health Project in China. This population-based kindergarten cohort study was begun in 2004 and follows children into adolescence to investigate the influence of lead exposure and micronutrient deficiency on children’s behavior. The team is also interested in assessing other biological and psychosocial (both positive and negative) factors (e.g. sleep behavior, child abuse) in developing children’s cognitive and behavioral outcome.  Dr. Liu is currently seeking graduate students who are interested in studying child cognitive and behavioral outcome in relation to prenatal/postnatal risk factors, early nutritional deficits, and environmental toxicity. 

About Jintan:  Jintan is located in southern Jiangsu, 150 miles from Shanghai and 35 miles from Nanjing.  Due to limited mobility for people from Jintan, it is ideal for a longitudinal study to follow up and track study participants. Jintan is a fast developing city with different social structures, which may also help in assessing the influence of the social environment.

Please contact Dr. Liu for more information about working with her on this project in Philadelphia and in China.

China:  Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine:  Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine has invited Penn medical students (MS1-4) to participate in a special introductory course to traditional Chinese medicine.  Students will be exposed to philosophy, principles, and practices of Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and moxibustion (a technique using a stick or cone of burning mugwort , Artemesia vulgaris, is placed over an inflamed or affected area on the body to stimulate and strengthen the blood and the life energy, or qi, of the body), massage therapy, and herbal therapies.  There will also be presentations on community and public health services.  In addition, students may be provided with opportunities to improve their Mandarin language skills and to practice martial arts. 

For your information, we are providing you with a sample of a similar program that was designed for a small group of Hong Kong University medical students in 2006.   Your specific program may vary considerably from this sample. 

Clinical Electives for MS 3-4:  Shanghai Jiao Tong University also offers Penn medical students the opportunity to participate in clinical electives in leading hospitals (Renji, Ruijin, and Shanghai Children's) in Shanghai where predominantly western medicine is practiced, with integration of some traditional Chinese medicine.  Electives are available as follows: 

To apply for a clinical elective, follow all of the application instructions provided above and specify the electives of interest in your statement.  Please note that most of these electives require intermediate to advanced level of Chinese reading and writing skills, as well as Mandarin oral comprehension and speaking skills.  There may be an opportunity for non-Chinese speakers as well.  To inquire about these or any other specific questions about the opportunities described above, you may contact Professor Fanyi Zeng, Senior Assistant to the Dean, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Japan:  Schools of Medicine of Keio University, Kyoto University, and Nagoya University
There are varied research and clinical opportunities in four locations in Japan: Keio University School of Medicine, Kyoto University School of Medicine, and Nagoya University School of Medicine. Each of these institutions will take a small number of students for research or clinical rotations.  Please direct inquiries to the office of Global Health Programs.

Japan:  University of Tokyo Faculty and Graduate School of Medicine
Penn medical students can pursue a variety of research and clinical opportunities at the University of Tokyo School of Medicine.  Please see scholarship information below and direct inquiries to the office of Global Health Programs.

National Taiwan University College of Medicine
National Taiwan University College of Medicine (NTUCM) offers clinical electives for foreign medical students who have completed the basic medical sciences and partially completed clerkships.  In order to be eligible for a limited number of clinical clerkship positions for foreign medical students, students must be in good health and in good academic standing in their own medical school.  They should have completed and passed at least 48 weeks of required clerkships including a course of Internal Medicine, and they need proficiency in Chinese or English.  Teaching is mainly in Mandarin, accompanied by English textbook, slides, and history system.

Singapore:  National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

The National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine offers clinical electives to Penn medical students who are already in their clinical years.  A large number of electives are available at more than 10 different clinical sites.  NUS has a website with an online application. Complete applications must be submitted at least 3 months prior to the start of the clinical elective but no more than 12 months in advance. 

Europe Opportunities

Austria: The Max Kade Fellowship for Medical Students

Through the generosity of the American Austrian Foundation (AAF), fellowships are available to expose American medical students to medical practices in Austria, allowing them to gain experience in a different health care environment.  American medical students who have completed their required rotations (MS4) are eligible to participate in the Max Kade Fellowship program. Fellows spend one month (four consecutive weeks) rotating through a specific department at the University Hospital of Vienna, the General Hospital in Salzburg and/or other highly respected institutions.

The topic of study is to be chosen by the candidate and every effort will be made to accommodate the student in his/her area of interest.  In 2008, clerkships will be available February 4-29,   March 3-28,  and March 31- April 26.       

Please note that all applications must be submitted through the Global Health Programs Office.  The process is as follows:

1.  On your computer, complete the application form

2.  Attach your application in an email to Nancy Biller, along with a request for a screening meeting

Your chances of being accepted in the program will be greatest if you are flexible on dates and assignments.  February and March tend to be less in demand than April. 

England
The University of Oxford will take up to two students each year for a research rotation, primarily in microbiology, virology, immunology, or cell biology. Students should apply to the Global Health Programs office.

France:  L'Envol
If you speak French fluently and enjoy working with children, you may be interested in volunteering at l'Envol, a summer camp for seriously ill children.  L'Envol is one of the Hole in the Wall Camps which began as a dream of actor Paul Newman who started the first one in 1988.

France:  MICEFA
MICEFA (Mission Interuniversitaire de Coordination des Échanges Franco-Américains) is a consortium of 16 universities in Paris and its suburbs which coordinates the exchange of students between France and the United States. Penn medical students in years 1, 3, and 4 are eligible for research rotations. Students in years 3 and 4 are also eligible for clinical rotations.  The minimum commitment is for two months.  Programs are shaped to match the interests of the trainee/student with an available laboratory or clinical department, as well as with an appropriate advisor. 

All Paris Medical Schools participate in this program. In addition to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, MICEFA medical student exchanges are with Harvard Medical School, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, George Washington University, the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, and the University of Buffalo. More information is available at the MICEFA website. Students should apply to the Global Health Programs office.

 

Ireland
Penn faculty have special contacts at a number of universities in Ireland. They can help the interested student to arrange 1-2 month clinical experiences in Dublin at the Royal College of Surgeons, Trinity College, or University College and in Cork at University College.  Interested students should send an email to Global Health Programs indicating the type of clinical elective/s that are of interest and the month/s during which they are available for this activity. 

For research experiences, students should expect to devote 8 weeks.  Interested students should prepare a copy of their CV together with an indication of research interest and the dates during which they can participate in research.  These items should be attached in an email to Global Health Programs. 

Netherlands: The University of Groningen
The University of Groningen is a small Dutch university whose biology department was founded by Petrus Camper in the 18th century. The University of Groningen offers the Petrus Camper Award to up to 3 Penn medical students annually who go there for a research rotation of at least 6 weeks (1st, 3rd and 4th year students are eligible). Students may participate at any time during the year. The following research projects are available:

It may also be possible for students to participate in fields of research other than those listed above.

Spain:  Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Alcalá

The Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Alcalá offers research and clinical opportunities to Penn medical students. 

Research:  The research opportunity is in immunology and is available to MS1, MS3, and MS4 students.  No knowledge of Spanish is required as the members of the research group speak English. Single rooms on campus in Alcalá may be available at a cost of 460.20€ per month.

Clinical:  The clinical opportunity is a possibility for MS3 and MS4 students with an advanced command of the Spanish language.  Students may spend one or two months.  Most electives are in Alcalá, with a few additional electives in Madrid (30 km from Alcalá) and Guadalajara (15 km from Alcalá) .  Single rooms on campus in Alcalá may be available at a cost of 460.20€ per month.

 

Switzerland: UNAIDS, Geneva
The global public health program for the control of HIV/AIDS is conducted by UNAIDS, a joint program of the WHO (World Health Organization), United Nations, UNICEF, and other multinational organizations. UNAIDS conducts programs for the surveillance, evaluation, and control of AIDS in many countries around the globe. Much more information is available on the UNAIDS website.

UNAIDS has an internship program to bring in students for short term (minimum of 6 weeks  and maximum of 3 months) assignments in Geneva where they can participate in one of the many activities dedicated to the operation and evaluation of HIV/AIDS public health programs around the world.   The purpose of granting internships is to allow carefully selected post-secondary students who are registered in academic programs, to participate in the work of UNAIDS, and enable them to deepen their knowledge and understanding of UNAIDS' goals, policies and activities. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in the management of global programs that address public health needs on a worldwide basis. Interns work at the Secretariat in Geneva at UNAIDS headquarters.  Interns are expected to devote themselves full-time to the work assigned to them.  No remuneration of any kind is offered and the intern is responsible for covering expenses for travel, subsistence, and health insurance, etc.  UNAIDS provides accident insurance coverage only.

Switzerland:  WHO, Geneva
Internships are available in a wide variety of areas related to the technical work of the World Health Organization (WHO).  Most WHO internships are based at Headquarters in Geneva. If you are interested in applying for an internship in a regional or country office, you can find information on the WHO website to help you apply to those offices directly. 

Click here for more information and to carefully review the application process.

PENN MED STUDENT-ARRANGED ACTIVITIES:  REPORTS & ADVICE