International Translational Research

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Department
Interdisciplinary Medicine
Course Number
IDIS 370
Course Title International Translational Research
Course Director
Huda Ayas, EdD
Length (Weeks)

4-8
When Offered

All year except weeks 36-39. Pre-approval is required for this course from the course director.
Prerequisites

All core clerkships
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
rebecca.zacuto@gwu.edu
Other Contacts

impinfo@gwu.edu
Location

Varied based on international site and research project availability. For a list of these sites, visit the IMP website.
Limit
3 students per site per academic year
Report

N/A
Evaluation

Clinical/research evaluation, reflection paper, or other academic research project
Description

This course allows third- and fourth-year medical students to participate in international translational research projects. Unless the student has already been working on an international research project before traveling, it is advised the student plans for eight weeks abroad as a member of the research team. 

The location and acceptance vary greatly based on project availability, student's research experience, and funding. Contact the SMHS Office of International Medicine Programs (IMP) if you are interested in learning about potential research opportunities abroad. 

Course Learning Objectives:

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

  • Understand different components of research methodology necessary to undertake clinical and translational outside of the United States.
  • Develop critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, creative problem solving, and ethical conduct of research.
  • 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: