Global Health Opportunities

DO A WORLD OF GOOD IN A WORLD OF NEED Global health opportunities DMU’S MISSION is to improve lives in our global community by educating diverse groups of highly competent and compassion- ate health professionals. Its global health department’s mission is to offer students opportunities to enhance Help the world, cultural competency and learn about healing from a global perspective by help yourself working with underserved populations. THE VISION of the DMU es Moines University has one of the most active global Global Health Department is to establish and expand health programs among all medical schools in the interprofessional education, research and service oppor- nation, osteopathic or allopathic. It offers students tunities to inspire and equip D a wide variety of opportunities to gain cultural insights and students to become leaders in global public health. clinical skills, learn about healing from a more global perspec- DMU’s STRATEGIC PLAN tive, conduct research and compare health care systems of the demonstrates the Univer- United States and other countries. These experiences increase sity’s commitment to global health with its priorities students’ cultural competency, confidence, interprofessional in promoting healthy communities, providing knowledge and patient care abilities. care to the medically underserved, fostering cultural competency and engaging Regardless of where your career basic health care many of us take in public health issues on takes you, you will see many pa- for granted. Many of the health local, national and global tients in your practice from around problems of people in underserved levels. the world. By learning about and areas can be successfully treated working with health issues that with simple, basic care. By doing a affect different parts of the globe, global health rotation or internship, you will help save lives, hone your you’ll be part of that solution. clinical skills and go on to provide The University partners with better care for your patients. clinical sites around the world to Many areas of the world lack the offer these experiences. The Global Health Depart- ment strives to enable students in all three of DMU’s col- leges to serve and learn in Medicine isn’t all about doing a history and physical. The ability to understand your patients’ backgrounds, the willingness to reach out to offer help and listen to their complaints, and being more culturally competent all will go a long way in making me a better physician.” As a second-year podiatric medical student, Dixon Xu was part of a DMU global health service trip to Biloxi, Mississippi. patient- and population-based DMU offers global activities and research. health learning experi- Students work to devise site- ences on campus, too, appropriate solutions to local from a wide variety of needs. Our physical therapy stu- speakers, panels and dents have worked with senior events to its electives in citizens on rehabilitation in St. beginning and intermedi- Lucia, for example, while osteo- ate medical Spanish lan- pathic and podiatric medical stu- guage. Global health adjunct dents have treated patients in the faculty members offer ad- Dominican Republic, Tanzania ditional perspectives. and Appalachia. Public health On campus and around and health care administration the world, the Global Health students provide education and Department focuses on the expertise to individuals, com- global goal of advancing the munities and organizations in a health of people and popula- variety of sites and settings. tions around the world. Getting ready for global health experiences The Global Health Department works to ensure DMU students are ready for the challenges and personal changes that global health trips can involve. Students participate in learning activities pre-departure that emphasize traveling safely and preparing for a different culture. Post-departure, students reflect on the impact the trip had on them and lessons learned. International rotations and internships UNITED STATES DMU offers a spring break service trip to DOMINICAN REPUBLIC an underserved area of the United States. DMU partners with Timmy In 2016, the site will Global Health to provide health be Jackson, Kentucky. care services to some of the most underserved communities near Monte Cristi in the Dominican Republic. This partnership expands health care services and public health programs. In addition to short-term clinics and clinical rotations in Monte Cristi, DMU students work with ongoing public health programs on educational campaigns that address local health concerns. ST. LUCIA DMU offers rotations at BELIZE St. Jude Hospital in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, the second- Hillside Health Care largest city on the southern International in Punta coast of this West Indian Gorda, with its well- island country. This rotation trained staff from is particularly beneficial developed countries, for physician assistant, offers a rotation that’s physical therapy and public especially beneficial health students. for physician assistant, physical therapy and public health students. GHANA JAMAICA DMU offers rotations at Sanford Health in Accra, Students work in a PERU part of a 10-clinic network health care setting in that serves urban and rural Kingston. This rota- DMU offers rotations areas as well as small tion is particularly at La Universidad Peruana communities. beneficial to physical de Ciencias Aplicadas therapy students. (UPC) in the capital of Lima with the potential for RWANDA additional experiences at a U.S. Naval Research Base. DMU offers rotations at DMU also hosts UPC medi- the National University of cal students in Des Moines Rwanda (NUR) in the capi- to rotate in the DMU Clinic tal of Kigali and surround- and partner hospitals. ing rural communities. nternational rotations and internships International rotations and internships vary from year to year, with established Isites as shown on the map. Since 2007, 675 students in DMU’s osteopathic and podiatric medicine, physician assistant, physical UNITED KINGDOM therapy, health care administration and public health programs have participated in these This rotation at the University of London exposes students to interprofessional rotations and internships the United Kingdom’s national in more than 40 countries around the world, health system, making it par- serving thousands of underserved patients, ticularly of interest to public interacting with other health professionals health students. and conducting research. THAILAND DMU offers rotations at Chiang Mai University’s national teaching hospital. Students gain clinical skills as well as insights on social determinants of health given the area’s large refugee population. INDIA Students can experience rotations at Mercy Hospital in Kolkata, a general hospital with 30 specialty centers that serve approximately 100,000 patients per year. In addition, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) in Kerala is an excellent site for podiatric medical students with its focus on diabetic lower-limb problems. TANZANIA DMU offers rotations for osteopathic UGANDA medicine students at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in DMU offers rotations Moshi, at the base of Mount Kiliman- at Makerere University in jaro. This 457-bed facility is a referral AUSTRALIA Kampala, the largest city and hospital for more than 11 million This rotation at the capital of the East African people in Northern Tanzania. country of Uganda. Par- University of Sydney ticipants rotate at Makerere’s DMU also offers experiences at gives students insights National Teaching Hospital, Gonja Lutheran Hospital and Same on and experience in where they gain experiences Hospital, both rural sites that offer a socialized medicine. in obstetrics, surgery and great depth of hands-on clinical and emergency medicine. cultural experiences. Helping here at home lobal health does school children, health care at communities to explore a not involve just care local free clinics and friend- wide range of issues. G in countries beyond ship to homeless people in DMU students, faculty and the United States. That’s why the city. The Global Health health care volunteers also DMU students and faculty Student Club offers a variety provide care and education serve diverse patients in need of speakers, discussions and through the University’s Mo- in Iowa. presentations to expand stu- bile Health Clinic, a 38-foot Through community service dents’ perspectives. Frequent customized Winnebago motor and campus organization interactive student-led discus- home equipped with two activities, students regularly sions tackle topics affecting complete examination rooms. offer sports physicals to Iowa the health of people around These experiences “at home” the world. Available as a one- expose students to a variety credit elective to second-year of people and the issues they clinical students, these discus- face, expanding their cultural sions bring together members sensitivity and skills. of the DMU and Des Moines DMU brings people together DMU students can gain global insights from medical students the University regularly hosts from Makerere University in Uganda. During their time in Des Moines, the students take classes at DMU, shadow physicians in the DMU Clinic and then experience a rotation at Mercy Medical Center. The University also works with alumni and local clinicians who want to supervise students on global health service trips. These individuals contribute significantly to students’ learning while also helping underserved

Load more