International Medical, Surgical, and Community Health Missions

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Department
Interdisciplinary Medicine
Course Number
IDIS 349
Course Title International Medical, Surgical, and Community Health Missions
Course Director
Huda Ayas, EdD
Length (Weeks)

2, 4
When Offered

All year except weeks 36-39. This course requires approval from the course director. 
Prerequisites

All core clerkships; ANES 302 or 380
Availability Notes

All medical students participating in international clinical or research electives, including those in the Global Health Scholarly Concentration, must first apply through the GW SMHS Office of International Medicine Programs (IMP) and then submit the Extramural Elective Request Form located on the MD Registrar website to the Dean’s Office prior to the beginning date of the elective.
Contact Name
Rebecca Zacuto
Contact Phone
202-994-2421
Contact Fax
Contact Email
Other Contacts

impinfo@gwu.edu
Location

For a list of GW SMHS affiliated international sites, visit the IMP website.
Limit
3 students per site per academic year
Report

N/A
Evaluation

GW SMHS Uniform Clinical Evaluation; reflection paper. Both are due within two weeks of returning to the United States or two weeks before graduation, whichever is sooner.
Description

Students registered in IDIS 349 participate in medical, surgical, or community health missions with affiliated NGOs or GW SMHS clinical departments. Past NGOs that have hosted GW students are OmniMed Uganda, Operation Smile, and others. Students may be involved in pre-mission planning activities to appreciate the preparation that goes into effective and sustainable missions. While on the mission, students will likely have the same accommodations as all other mission volunteers. International affiliated sites are carefully screened for academic quality, suitability for medical student education, and student safety by the GW SMHS Office of International Medicine Programs (IMP).

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

  • Gain an understanding of healthcare needs within remote and vulnerable communities, including social determinants of health, public health, primary care, epidemiology, infectious and tropical diseases.
  • Broaden cultural perspective by applying global health or medical knowledge through experiential learning abroad.
  • Implement inter-cultural sensitivity and effective communication strategies with diverse and vulnerable populations globally.
Additional Notes

International Clinical Elective Guidelines:

  • All medical students participating in international clinical or research electives, including those in the Global Health Scholarly Concentration, must first apply through the GW SMHS Office of International Medicine Programs (IMP) and then submit the Extramural Elective Request Form located on the MD Registrar website to the Dean’s Office prior to the beginning date of the elective.
  • Students must adhere to the SMHS Policies and Procedures for Pre-clinical International Summer Experiences and International Electives.
  • Students must also follow university policies on student travel. See student travel policies on the GW Global website.
    • Of note, any students traveling to a high-risk destination will be required to submit additional information and risk mitigation plans that may be reviewed by the university's International Travel Risk Committee for approval. 
    • GW does not permit students to rent vehicles while on university travel.
  • At least 30 days before departure, students must:
    • Submit all required documents to GW Passport portal.
    • Submit completion certificate for the Global Ambassadors for Patient Safety (GAPS) training to IMP.
  • Students must be able to perform standard clinical duties during their rotation abroad and are expected to work with a designated mentor, who will evaluate the student's progress using the SMHS Uniform Clinical Evaluation form. 
  • Grades will be issued by Dr. Ayas based on 1) the feedback received from the in-country mentor in the Uniform Clinical Evaluation, and 2) the student's reflection paper. 

Policies: