Global Health Pathway

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A medical student at a clinic in Botswana.

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The Global Health Pathway is a longitudinal program available for Baylor College of Medicine medical students interested in global health. The pathway consists of courses, clinical training, research opportunities, and electives abroad that are designed to give medical students a broader understanding of medicine in a global context and prepare them for a career in global health. Students who complete the pathway will receive a certificate at graduation. To enroll in the pathway, you must contact the course directors or coordinator during the Spring of MS2 year and enroll in the pathway on Blackboard (Dr. George Parkerson, Dr. Colleen Keough or Mr. Keith Cutler). Enroll online.

Through the Tropical Medicine concentration of the Global Health Pathway, students will also have an opportunity to acquire sufficient class hours, skills, and knowledge level to sit for the examination leading to the Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Traveler's Health, sponsored by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene if they complete two clinical electives abroad.

View the Student Handbook.

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Requirements for Completing the Pathway

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Please see list of competencies that are expected of Global Health pathway graduates.
BCM Global Health Pathway Graduation Checklist. Fill out yearly in February and turn into the academic coordinator and pathway directors. This needs to be completed by Feb. 28 of your graduation year

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Year One - MS1

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March/April: Overview of Global Health elective MEOSA- 415A. This is an approximately six-week course meeting twice weekly at noon for one hour. The purpose of the course is to provide an overview of global health topics for the first-year medical student. Some of the topics include HIV/AIDS, mental health, global health technology, global surgery and women’s health presented by various faculty members.

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Year Two - MS2

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July-September: Readings in Global Health elective MEOSA- 415B. This is an approximately nine-week course which meets in the evening for two hours. It is designed for the second-year medical student, but it is open to all students who have completed the first year of medical school. The course covers various global health topics and is designed to foster student discussion of these issues with an accompanying textbook. Faculty mentors and students lead discussion on assigned readings, which students complete prior to class sessions. It also includes a pre-departure workshop which students require prior to going abroad on a clinical or research opportunity.

Student assignment to a faculty mentor: Towards the end of the second year, each student in the pathway is assigned to a faculty mentor with whom the student meets 2-4 times per year until graduation. Mentors help students to define global interests, provide networking opportunities, ensure completion of pathway requirements and discuss residency decisions.

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Years Three and Four - MS3 and MS4

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One-month clinical elective abroad or one-month research project in a low- or middle-income country

For the clinical elective, you must complete the pre-departure workshop once which is offered every Fall and included in the second-year Readings course (above). Contact Keith Cutler if you would like to enroll in the workshop and are not enrolled in the Readings course.

Selective your elective location (see options below):

BIPAI/Texas Children’s Global Health (Pediatrics, Ob-Gyn and Surgery): Email Cathy Namagambe, Dr. Heather Haq and Taylor Napier-Earle to schedule your rotation. Locations include Malawi.
Indian Health Service (Family Practice, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Ob-Gyn, Pediatrics, Radiology): Apply on the IHS website. Locations include New Mexico and Arizona.
Child Family Health International (pediatrics): Apply on their website. Locations include India, South Africa, Argentina, The Philippines, Uganda, Bolivia, Mexico, Ghana and Ecuador.
Global Health Research (non-local): Four weeks of on-site global health research with a Baylor Faculty member. This is not a course for credit. Contacts for opportunities are Denise Truong and Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy. Please advise the course directors for the global health pathway if you plan to use this to complete the pathway.

Other options are currently being explored as newer programs are opening. Any institution approved by VSLO/AAMC is open for rotation. If a global health elective or research opportunity is not obtainable for you, please notify the pathway directors and additional electives will be approved to complete the pathway.

Four-week electives

MEPED 548- Retrovirology- HIV, International Adoption & Travel Medicine
MEPED-505A or MEMED-538A- Infectious disease at TCH or Ben Taub (if taking all four DTM modules)
MESUR- 563 Global Surgery Research
Research month in global health related topic (non-clinical, local)

Two-week electives (if could combine)

MEMED 202- Comprehensive HIV Care for the Underserved
MEOBG 201- OB/GYN and HIV
MEPSY 566- Global Mental Health

After you have chosen your elective or research opportunity, contact the Registrar's Office at 713–798–7766, registrar@bcm.edu or in-person at DeBakey Bldg. M210 for the international rotations packet which you must complete prior to doing an elective or research outside of BCM. Students must schedule this elective experience in accordance with School of Medicine procedures for away rotations.

Funding opportunities are available through the Cain Foundation. Contact Dr. George Parkerson to apply as soon as the elective has been scheduled.

Global Health Conferences

Students are expected to attend four Global Health Journal Clubs or conferences as part of the pathway. Please keep track of the date of your conference/journal club and the topic of the lecture on your graduation checklist.

City Wide Infectious Diseases conferences. These seminars are held on Zoom. Contact is Lois Alfred at 713-798-4211 and Dr. Jose Serpa-Alvarez.
Global Health Surgery Journal Club: Next event on at 7 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2024. Contact is Dr. Rachel Davis.
Global Health Pediatrics Journal Club (quarterly at noon): The next event is at noon on July 17, 2024, in Feigin 14D. RSVP to Cathy Namagambe.
Global Health Pediatrics Foundations in Global Health Series, starting September 2024. RSVP to Brodus Franklin.
International Tropical Medicine Case Conference (ITMCC): Quarterly, the third Friday of every February, May, August and November, at noon. Contact is Cynthia Perez.

Diploma in Tropical Medicine Coursework

The Diploma in Tropical Medicine (DTM) is conducted in four intensive modules. All four modules are offered yearly from January to March. Students can take all four modules in sequence, or modules can be taken in different years. Students are encouraged to plan on reserving February of their fourth year for the DTM coursework, specifically modules two, three and the lab practical.

The Global Health Pathway offers students two options related to DTM coursework:

Option 1 (Tropical Medicine Concentration):

Students with a specific interest in Tropical Medicine who wish to qualify and sit for the Certificate of Knowledge Exam of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) must complete all four modules of the DTM program and do two abroad electives (can be completed in residency within a certain timeframe). Learn more.

Option 2:

Students who are not interested in sitting for the ASTMH exam are only required to complete any two of the four DTM modules, in addition to completion of a one-month clinical elective in Infectious Diseases (at Ben Taub or Texas Children's Hospital).

Schedule
Contact for National School of Tropical Medicine: 713–798–1199 and tropmed@bcm.edu
The courses are free for Baylor students and you do not need letters of recommendation or transcripts. Create an account and apply
More information on admissions