Global Medicine Program
The Global Health Program is a comprehensive, hands-on enrichment program that provides students with global clinical and research opportunities. Highlights of the program include interactive didactics that range from primary preventative healthcare to emergency disaster care, early clinical exposure to global medicine leaders, international service and research experiences. This program is life changing and career inspiring. Program participants have developed incredible life and professional skills, augmented residency match possibilities, presented their research at regional symposiums, created future niches in international emergency and disaster care and fulfilled personal and professional dreams by making a difference for those in need.
First & Second Year
LKSOM offers disaster and global medicine electives that prepare students for service experiences both domestically and abroad as early as the first year of school. These electives include workshops, lectures, clinical skill sessions and an interactive field wilderness medicine experience. These electives include workshops, lectures and clinical skills sessions.
The first international clinical experience often occurs the summer following the first year of medical school. Students typically complete these experiences in the regions of Africa, Asia, Central and South America. While abroad, students work with attending physicians to:
- care directly for international patients
- participate in observational research studies
- explore the culture and natural environment
Third & Fourth Year
Senior medical students interested in a wide range of clinical and research-related goals can undertake clinical rotations at more than a dozen affiliated medical schools on five continents—and at other institutions if they so desire. During these experiences abroad students develop medical skills in a treatment environment that is quite different from ours—and sometimes with limited availability of medical resources. They also gain a broader understanding of medical operations internationally and expand language skills (typically Spanish). To enhance their teaching and leadership skills, students can also assist with first- and second-year student projects.